Is the Decline of the Traditional Family Promoting Poverty?

by Heisenberg Posted 2012/07/18 16:00:00

Related Topics: Marriage, Family, Income, Poverty, 2012, Motherhood, Race, Nytimes.com, Class, America, Families, Image, Images, Gap

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757 votes
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	Yes	485 votes	64%
	No	272 votes	36%

NYTIMES.COM reports:
Motherhood outside marriage now varies by class about as much as it does by race, and changes in family structure have broadened income gaps and posed new barriers to upward mobility.

+29

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Red 2012/07/18 06:34:08

Yes

+12
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More polls by Heisenberg

Lady Wh... to Michael... 2012/07/18 10:05:06

WHAT in StarClan's name are you meowing about?

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Michael... to Lady Wh... 2012/07/18 20:23:10

If i have to explain, you wouldn't understand ;)

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MlssCue =Go Blue= 2012/07/18 06:36:01

Yes

+5
One parent household generally has less income coming in than a two parent household.

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Red 2012/07/18 06:34:08
Heisenberg 2012/07/18 06:32:22

Yes

+8
Guess what?

Social conservatives were right.

Want to raise children in a stable household and avoid poverty?

Get married.

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MlssCue... to Heisenberg 2012/07/18 06:37:43

+7
If only it were that easy though. When I got married & had kids I did it with the mindset that it was going to last forever. Unfortunately, that just wasn't the case. I am not asking for understanding or pity, just saying, life is not what we set out for it to be.

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Nimitz to MlssCue... 2012/07/18 07:14:22

+2
YES!!

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Lizzy to MlssCue... 2012/07/18 10:49:14

+2
So True. The same thing happened to me.

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Brad # ... to MlssCue... 2012/07/18 13:17:25

+3
A lot of couples give up on a marriage to easily. I am not talking about marriages that have violence or infidelity.

I think a lot of couples start to go through a tough time and then just give up. Past generations worked out their problems and have been married for 50, 60 and even 70 years. I myself have been married almost 20 years and believe me, we have had arguments and endured stressful times, but I still love her and she loves me and I don't for see us ever ending it.

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Command... to Brad # ... 2012/07/18 19:27:56

+1
"Past generations worked out their problems"

Past generations also shunned women who divorced their husbands.

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MlssCue... to Command... 2012/07/18 19:56:43

They still don't look too kindly upon us. As if we are automatically in the wrong. Or at least this has been *my* experience.

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Brad # ... to Command... 2012/07/19 11:15:39

+1
I am sure that is true, however, there were far more successful long term marriages in past generations then failures.

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MlssCue... to Brad # ... 2012/07/18 19:56:07

+2
I did everything I could before I walked away, more than I should have. But I am only one person, if that other half isn't willing to work on it, there's absolutely nothing you can do. I gave & tried for this very reason, so others couldn't look at me & say..."you let it go to easily" I can't speak for others but I know I did everything in my power to make it work. Without going into personal things in our marriage there were things in it that no one should ever have to endure.

Congrats to you & your wife, I hope it does last that lifetime.

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Brad # ... to MlssCue... 2012/07/19 11:19:08

+1
I am not condemning you. I certainly can understand why you needed to get out. I believe that many young couples give up long before they should. It sounds like you did all you could do and I am sorry that it didn't work out. I just wonder how many young couples give up at the first sign of a crisis(Again, I am not talking about abuse or infidelity).

I hope you are happy now or find happiness in the future.

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MlssCue... to Brad # ... 2012/07/19 20:53:58

+1
Thank you, I appreciate that. You're right that many do give up entirely too easy & soon. The vows of marriage seem to be just some words to some & not taken literally. Another thing, too many people get married for the wrong reasons.

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Brad # ... to MlssCue... 2012/07/20 12:30:45

+1
Agreed.

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JoeM to MlssCue... 2012/07/18 19:16:57

+3
Whether it is divorce or the death of your spouse, raising kids alone is a very hard job. The mother of my kids was 12 years younger than me, so it is a bit shocking that I am the one raising the kids alone.

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MlssCue... to JoeM 2012/07/18 19:58:00

+3
Yes it is, extremely hard.

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rightside to MlssCue... 2012/07/19 18:20:00

+1
I don't think that's what the original question is about. I think its about not even thinking that marriage and a father and mother are valid.
Sounds like you had that mindset, but life happened. Hope it didn't change your mind for the rest of your life.

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MlssCue... to rightside 2012/07/19 20:57:21

+1
Since I've divorced I've never been one to say, that was horrible I'll never do it again. I'm definitely not cut out for single life but regardless of that, it's life & I have to live it as it comes. I do hope to one day remarry, for a 2nd & last time. :-)

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rightside to MlssCue... 2012/07/19 21:34:52

+1
I knew someone that had 3 bad marriages. She finally decided to seek counseling so that she didn't pick another dud. Made her realize what she really wanted and how she needed to be. I don't know the rest of the story, but I commend her for what she did.
I wish you well for the future.

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MlssCue... to rightside 2012/07/19 21:44:54

Thank you.

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Brad # ... to Heisenberg 2012/07/18 13:13:55

+1
I agree.

I believe that liberal policies over the last 40 years have been eroding the traditional family. They promote and reward single motherhood, while ignoring hard working traditional families.

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