The Canadian family has changed dramatically during the 20th century. The definition of family has changed, as have 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 newly created families and some of the factors contributing to this change. Same-sex couples are increasing among families. In 2001, the definition of census family was changed to include same-sex common-law couples. If statistics prior to 2006 did not include same-sex unions, how accurate would these statistics have been? Herizons (2008) stated that the 2006 Canadian census was the first to allow surveys of marital status specifically for gay and lesbian couples. According to Canadian Social Trends (2007), the number of same-sex couples increased by 33% compared to 2001 statistics. "This is a growth rate five times higher than the growth rate of heterosexual couples, of which the number increased by 6% over the same period” (Canadian Social Trends, 2006). Not only have same-sex unions increased, but so have marriages. Among these same-sex couples, 17% were married (Canadian Social Trends, 2007). Rates vary across the country, but one thing is clear: married lesbian couples were more likely to have children than same-sex couples (Herizon, 2008). Same-sex couples aren't the only ones changing. Heterosexual marriages are undergoing great transformations due to gender roles and expectations. In 1981, 90% of women aged 50 were married (Canadian Social Trends, 2007). What is more surprising is that in 1981, 1 marriage in 1000 ended in divorce and that in 2006 the census recorded 120 out of 1000 marriages ended in divorce (S...... middle of ......cts paper on infant-mother and infant-father attachments Child Development, 58(6), 1505-1512 doi:10.2307/1130690Greenberg, MT (1990) Attachment in the preschool years Chicago. , Illinois: University of Chicago Press. Harlow, H. (1958). Retrieved from http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/harlow.htm. Howard, K. S. (2010). parenting and child attachment, 180(1), 157-171. doi:10.1080/03004430903415031Scher, A., Hershkovitz, R., and Harel, J. (1998). Maternal separation anxiety in infancy: Precursors and outcomes in Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 29(2). ), 103-111. doi:10.1023/A:1025031931770 Vicedo, M. (2009). Mothers, Machines, and Morality: Harry Harlow's Work on Primate Love from Laboratory to Legend, 45(3). ), 193-218. doi:10.1002/jhbs.20378