Quote:
Originally Posted by rubecube
Also I wonder how thorough any analysis is when it strictly focuses on marriage and doesn't include co-habitating, unmarried parents.
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I'm not sure that's captured in all the statistics. For example, in Scandinavia marriage has declined, but most children are still born to parents in an enduring monogamous relationship. We know that the working class in the anglo world has seen a break-down not just of official, sanctioned marriage, but in enduring monogamous relationships. Children are often raised in households with multiple male adults passing through, losing the benefits of both a stable income and a stable, loving male presence in their lives. That dude who lives with mom for a couple years probably isn't setting aside some of his paycheque every month to pay for your university.
When men commit to marriage, they seek out higher paying jobs and work longer hours. Yes, the decline in economic prospects for working class men has damaged marriage. But the decline in the social pressure to commit to marriage has deprived men of the motivation to better their economic situation.