Reproduction

Abstract

Popularized during the 1950s, the notion of the “traditional” nuclear family consisting of a heterosexual married couple and their biological children was considered the ideal. Accordingly, reproduction has historically signified biological family expansion. As the late twentieth century and the early twenty‐first have seen the rise of alternative family forms, the chances of children being born and raised in nontraditional family forms have increased. In parallel have arisen alternative methods of reproduction (e.g., adoption and the use of reproductive technologies), which may be defined by nonbiological means. Within this context, alternative forms of family‐building give parents greater freedom in their reproductive decisions. Conversely, development of alternative contraceptive methods has increased choices when individuals seek to prevent pregnancy. All of the mentioned biomedical advances facilitate greater autonomy in the reproductive arena. Alternative household structures discussed include single‐parent families, families composed of LGBT members, families built through adoption, “blended” families created by divorces and remarriages, and families constituted by unmarried cohabitating couples.