The Canadian family changed dramatically over the course of the 20th century. The definition of family has changed, along with the functions of families. Many modern families have moved away from what we once considered the traditional family. This essay will discuss the different types of families that have recently developed and some factors that contribute to this change. Same-sex couples are increasing among families. In 2001, the census family definition was changed to include same-sex couples living in a common-law relationship. If previous statistics before 2006 did not include common-law same-sex relationships, how accurate could the statistics have been? Herizons (2008) stated that the 2006 Canadian census was the first to allow marital status surveys specifically for gay and lesbian couples. According to Canadian Social Trends (2007) same-sex couples have increased by 33% compared to 2001 statistics. “This is a growth rate five times higher than that of opposite-sex couples, whose number has increased by 6% in the same period” (Canadian Social Trends, 2006). Not only did same-sex communal laws increase, but so did marriage. Of these same-sex couples, 17% were married (Canadian Social Trends, 2007). Rates vary from country to country, but one thing is clear: Lesbian married couples were more likely to have children than gay couples (Herizon, 2008). Same-sex couples aren't the only couples changing. Heterosexual marriages are undergoing major transformations due to gender roles and expectations. In 1981, 90% of women over the age of 50 were in a marriage (Canadian Social Trends, 2007). What is even more surprising is that, in 1981, 1 in 1,000 marriages ended in divorce and in 2006, according to the census recorded of 1,000 marriages, 120 resulted in divorce (Canadian S...... half of ......cts paper on child-mother and child-father attachments. Child Development, 58(6), 1505-1512 doi:10.2307/1130690Greenberg, MT (1990) Attachment in the preschool years Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press.Harlow, H (1958). Retrieved from http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/harlow.htm.Howard, KS (2010), 157-171. doi:10.1080/03004430903415031Scher, A., Hershkovitz, R., & Harel, J. (1998). ), 103-111. doi:10.1023/A:1025031931770Vicedo, M. (2009: Harry Harlow's work on primate love from laboratory to legend), 45(3 ), 193-218. doi:10.1002/jhbs.20378