What Counts as 'Family' in America?

January 6, 2012

How do Americans define family, and how have their definitions changed over time? In four short videos (see below), RSF author Brian Powell shares some findings from his award-winning book Counted Out, which reports on and analyzes the results of a survey that asked more than 1,500 people to explain their stances on a broad range of issues, including gay marriage and adoption, single parenthood, and the legal rights of unmarried partners.

More from Brian Powell
• Introduction to Counted Out (PDF)
• Interview with NPR: The Remaking of the American Family
• Charts and Figures from Counted Out

In one of the videos, produced by W. W. Norton and Company, Powell says the data shows Americans are becoming more inclusive in their definitions of families. "Single parents and children, people are much more likely to say they count as families," he says. "Gay couples with children, much more likely to count them as families as well." Some changes in opinion are occurring quite rapidly. In 2003, Powell and his team found about 55 percent of Americans said a lesbian couple with children or gay male couple with children counted as families. By 2010, that number increased to over 67 percent. The guiding principle for many Americans, Powell explains, is to ask: "Does a living group that acts like a family, that feels like a family, that does things like a family—are they a family? And the answer seems to be, for a large proportion of Americans, the answer is yes."

Tags: RSF Books