Dramaticchangesineconomicandfamilysystemsinevitablygohandinhand.JustastheemergenceofmodernindustrializingsocietiespreoccupiedthefoundingfiguresofsociologyintheWest，sotoothedevelopmentofthemodernnuclearfamilydominatedtheagendaofthediscipline’sfirstcenturyoftheoryandresearchonfamilytransformation.SociologistslikeTalcottParsons（1944）andWilliamGoode（1967）claimedthatthestreamlinedfamilycomposedofamalebreadwinner，afemalehomemaker，andtheirchildrensuitedtheneedsofrapidlyindustrializingsocietiesaswellasthepresumeddifferent，heterosexual，andcomplementarynaturesofmenandwomenthemselves.Themodernnuclearfamilystructuredaroundaromanticconceptofheterosexualloveandoffreechoice，companionatemarriagerepresentedwhatsociologistAnthonyGiddens（1992）termsthe“Atransformationofintimacy.”Itsignaledthehistorictrajectoryfromaregimeofobligatoryfamily，kinship，andsexualitytakentobe“Anatural”totheunleashingofincreasinglevelsofindividualemotion，choice，anddiversitythatcharacterizeourpersonallivestoday.Orperhapsitismoreaccuratetosuggestthatmodernfreechoicemarriagelaunchedthemodernconceptofintimacyitself，withitsemphasisontheindividualquestforeroticizedloveandemotionalauthenticity.
Contradictionsinherenttothemodernfamilysystem，suchasbetweentheidealoffreeloveandtherealityofgenderinequalityandlawsagainstsodomy，orbetweenpersonaldesiresandmarketforces，consignedtotheclosetthepursuitofanyformofintimacythatchallengedmale-dominantpatternsofheterosexualmarriageandparenthood.Overthecourseofthetwentiethcentury，continuingprocessesofeconomicdevelopmentinadvancedindustrialsocieties，sometimesdescribedaspost-industrialization，exacerbatedthesecontradictionsandultimatelyuprootedthefoundationsandstabilityofthemodernfamilyitself.Post-industrialeconomicforcesalteredthebasicdemographicfeaturesofmodernmarriageandfamilynorms.Themostprominent，andoftencontroversial，changesunleashedincludedincreasingpercentagesofwomenandmothersinpaidemployment，risingageofmarriage，lowerfertilityrates，escalateddivorceandremarriagerates，alongwithrisingratesofsinglemotherhoodandstep-families，andthedevelopmentofnewformsofcontraceptionandreproductivetechnologies.