During the Baby Boom period, which description characterizes family structure?

• A. High proportion of married couples, low proportion of single parents, and a growing proportion of individuals living on their own.
• B. Low proportion of married couples and high proportion of single parents.
• C. Steady rate of married couples with few nonfamily households.
• D. Rapid decline in individuals living on their own.

Answer: (A)

During the Baby Boom era, family life was strongly centered on the traditional two‑parent household. The postwar period saw a surge in marriages and births, so many households were headed by married couples with children. Single‑parent families were comparatively rare, as economic stability and cultural norms supported two‑parent, child‑rearing arrangements. At the same time, some young people began living independently as they left home to work or study, and the growth of suburbs and new housing made it easier to form households with a spouse. So the overall pattern fits a landscape with many married couples, relatively few single parents, and a growing tendency for individuals to establish their own households. The other descriptions would reflect different times—lower marriage rates or higher single parenthood, or a different pace of people living on their own.