Promoting Marriage Among Single Mothers: An Ineffective Weapon in the War on Poverty?
“Nonmarital fertility is quickly becoming a dominant pathway to family formation, especially among the disadvantaged.” (p. 324)
I choose this quote because as reported by this article, nonmarital fertility and poverty in one of our society issues. Nonmarital fertility is the most significant demographic trend of the past two decades, and as this number increase the number of single mothers increases. Children raised in single-parent household are exposed to a wide range of negative outcomes in comparison to children raised by both biological parents.
However, marriage is not the panacea for this wide range of outcomes (poverty, educational level, and teen childbearing), but to encourage women to delay childbirth along with utilizing an approach that includes comprehensive and early sex education. Similarly, a preventive approach that provides an expansive and affordable access to birth control and family planning services.
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Also, most of this men already have children on their own, few economic resources, lack high school diploma, or have substance abuse problems. Therefore, these marriage tend to end up in divorce and are worse off economically for both mother and child. An effective approach must focus on lowering poverty rates and improving the well-being of single mothers and their children.
1. What approaches could be effective in lowering poverty rates among single-parent families?
2. Why the U.S.A. do not implement publicly funded child care and paid parental leave?
No, Marriage is not a Good Way to Fight