American society has evolved enormously over the last century. With this evolution, there has been a redefinition of what gender and gender roles are and this redefinition has influenced a change in the common structure of families and marriages in the United States. Among the many social changes that have occurred in the United States, there have been many changes for women. . In today's society, women are more independent and have more authority than before. Men and women became much more equal and these changes in society had a lot to do with the world wars. As soldiers went to war, women returned to the jobs they had left behind. Women could now support themselves independently. As divorce became more acceptable and common, there were more households headed by women. This has changed gender roles for women in the United States: now not only are women servants, but they can also be the breadwinners of their households. It is clearly evident that the change in women's gender roles has influenced a change in families and marriage through how women have more independence from their counterparts and how they have more authority in the within the family. Along with a change in women's gender roles Over the past century, ideas about gender and sexuality have changed among women. The acceptance of sexual orientations in addition to heterosexuality has led to a major change in marriages and families. The media has been a factor in this acceptance. There have been quite a few series with homosexual and transgender characters. The media has inspired many people to fight for certain legal rights for gays. This led to same-sex marriages being legalized in some states. There are now many marriages in the United States between homosexual people. Alon...... middle of paper ...... because there are now many same-sex marriages as they have been legalized in some states and also the way families are set up now, that it s Whether it's a single mother who heads the household or a homosexual couple who has adopted children. It's crazy how quickly the United States has changed over the last century. Works Cited Ebanks, Ryan. “Gender, gender roles, family and kinship”. Florida Atlantic University. Social Sciences Building, FAU, Boca Raton, FL. February 18, 2014. Discussion. “!! DEBATE ON GAY PARENTING IN HOLLYWOOD!! » YouTube. YouTube, June 5, 2010. Internet. March 31, 2014. Kottak, Conrad Phillip. Cultural anthropology: appreciating cultural diversity. 14th ed. New York. McGraw Hill, 2011. Print. “TEDxKA: Gender Roles and Stereotypes by Serene Akkawi. » YouTube. KingsAcademy, March 6, 2012. Web. March 31, 2014. “Tony Porte A call to men. " Ted Speaks. Ted, December 2010. Web. March 31 2013