Sure. For much of human history, the basic decision-making unit has been the household, rather than the individual, and household sizes have decreased significantly as time has gone on. With the “three generations under one roof” model, individuals could heed the sage wisdom of someone who has lived several times as long as they have when making important decisions like what career to follow or who to marry, and in many cases the social pressure to conform to the wishes of the elders was significant. As well, many people were also considered property- and so didn’t need to make decisions that would alter the course of their life, because someone else would make them for them. Serfs rarely needed to make complicated financial decisions. Limited mobility made deciding where to live easier.
Now, individuals (of both sexes!) are expected to decide who to marry and what job to pursue, mostly on their own. The replacement for the apprentice system- high school and college- provide little structure compared to traditional apprenticeships. Individuals are expected to negotiate for themselves with regards to many complicated financial transactions and be stewards of property.
(This is a good thing in general, but it is worth remembering that it’s a great thing for people who are good at being executives and mediocre to bad for people who are bad at it. As well, varying family types have been a thing for a long time, which may have had an impact on the development of societies and selected for different traits.)
Could you elaborate on this?
Sure. For much of human history, the basic decision-making unit has been the household, rather than the individual, and household sizes have decreased significantly as time has gone on. With the “three generations under one roof” model, individuals could heed the sage wisdom of someone who has lived several times as long as they have when making important decisions like what career to follow or who to marry, and in many cases the social pressure to conform to the wishes of the elders was significant. As well, many people were also considered property- and so didn’t need to make decisions that would alter the course of their life, because someone else would make them for them. Serfs rarely needed to make complicated financial decisions. Limited mobility made deciding where to live easier.
Now, individuals (of both sexes!) are expected to decide who to marry and what job to pursue, mostly on their own. The replacement for the apprentice system- high school and college- provide little structure compared to traditional apprenticeships. Individuals are expected to negotiate for themselves with regards to many complicated financial transactions and be stewards of property.
(This is a good thing in general, but it is worth remembering that it’s a great thing for people who are good at being executives and mediocre to bad for people who are bad at it. As well, varying family types have been a thing for a long time, which may have had an impact on the development of societies and selected for different traits.)