The Bush administration's recent proposal to set aside federal welfare funds for marriage promotion programs renews a long-standing controversy about what makes a model family. But much more than symbolism is at stake in the debate over whether public policies should encourage marriage, and whether such policies are likely to be effective.
References
1.
BernardJesse. The Future of Marriage.New York: Bantam, 1972. An influential book that argues marriage is good for men but bad for women.
2.
CherlinAndrew J.Chase-LansdaleP. LindsayMcRaeChristine. “Effects of Parental Divorce on Mental Health throughout the Life Course.”American Sociological Review63 (1998): 239–49. A study that suggests some of the apparent effects of parental divorce on mental health were visible before the parents divorced.
3.
CherlinAndrew J.FombyPaula. “A Closer Look at Children's Living Arrangements in Low-Income Families.” Policy Brief 02–03, Welfare, Children, and Families Study, 2002. Online. http://www.jhu.edu/∼welfare/19837BriefLivingArrang.pdf A report on changes in family structure among a sample of low-income, urban families. It finds an increase in families composed of a mother, her children, and a man other than the father of the children.
4.
OomsTheodora. “Marriage and Government: Strange Bedfellows?”2002. Washington D.C.: Center for Law and Social Policy. Online. http://www.clasp.org/DMS/Documents/1028563059.86/MarriageBrief1.pdf A policy brief that argues for marriage promotion programs from a liberal perspective.
5.
WaiteLinda J.GallagherMaggie. The Case for Marriage: Why Married People are Happier, Healthier, and Better Off Financially.New York: Doubleday, 2000. Waite and Gallagher argue that marriage benefits both women and men equally.
6.
WilsonJames Q.The Marriage Problem: How Our Culture Has Weakened Families.New York: HarperCollins, 2002. Wilson contends that the decline in marriage has been detrimental to society and suggests that women should place a higher priority on marriage and childrearing.
7.
WolfeAlan. Moral Freedom: The Search for Virtue in a World of Choice.New York: W.W. Norton, 2001. Wolfe maintains that the American philosophy is “moral freedom,” in which each person is free to decide what is a good and virtuous life.
