FamiliesAreChanging,ButStillKeytoHappinessLovethemorhatethem,familyreallymattersinshapinghappinessandwell-being.Peoplearedirectlyinfluencedbythequantityandqualityoffamilyinteractions—phonecallsbetweenmothersanddaughters,extendedfamilyvacations,visitswithin-laws,andperhapslater,timewithGramsandGramps.Beyondthetimeandemotionalbondingbetweenindividualfamilymembers,relativesalsoformapowerfulsupportandapprovalnetwork.Thewayweinteractwiththatnetworkcanmakeourlivesmucheasierandhealthful,ormuchharderandstressful.That’sbecauseinwayssmallandlarge,ourlife’seffortsandachievementsaregivenmeaningbyhowwe’rejudgedwithinourfamilies.“Evenasmarriageshrinks,family—inallitsemergingvarieties—remainselastic,”thePewResearchCentersaidina2010surveyontheriseofnewfamilystructuresandpublicattitudestowardmarriageandfamily.“Americanshaveanexpansivedefinitionofwhatconstitutesafamily.Andthevastmajorityofadults[roughly75percent]considertheirownfamilytobethemostimportant,mostsatisfyingelementoftheirlives.”“Inthefieldofgerontology（老年医学）,everybodylamentedthedeclineofthefamily,”saysMerrillSilverstein,aprofessorofgerontologyandsociologyattheUniversityofSouthernCalifornia.Butfamilymemberscontinuetohavestrongrelationshipsandinteractions.Somesubgroupsarecertainlyhavingproblems,hesays,includingthosewithlowincomesordivorcedparents,especiallyfathers.Broadlyspeaking,however,“thecrisisofthefamilyisoverblown,”Silversteinsays.Pewlookedatchangesinthelivingarrangementsofadultsbetween1960and2008.Thepercentageofmarriedadultsdroppedduringthisperiodfrom72percentto52percent.Thepercentageofwidowedpeoplealsodeclined,from9percentofalladultsin1960to7percentin2008.Thepercentageofpeoplewhowereseparatedordivorcednearlytripledoverthistime,however,from5percentto14percent.Andthepercentageofadultswhohadneverbeenmarriednearlydoubled,from14percentin1960to27percentin2008.Theroleoffamilycantakeonaddedimportanceinnontraditionalhouseholds,especiallythosethatdon’tenjoythelegalbenefitsandbroadsocialsupportofmarriageandothertradition