Isabel Sawhill is a Democrat and a former Clinton administration official—she has also been a staunch supporter of the institution of marriage throughout her career. Her stance has always been based on solid data—children raised in two-parent, married households do far better than their peers who are raised in other family arrangements.
However, Ms. Sawhill is also a pragmatist, and as such she recently wrote a book titled Generation Unbound, that comes to the conclusion that marriage may be dead—at least for the majority of people. A cultural revolution of sorts has impacted this institution and Ms. Sawhill’s point is that we need to be realistic and look at what else society can do to reduce poverty, instability, absent fathers, poor physical and mental health—and all the problems that affect children more who are from unmarried families.
Marriage has been on the decline for over 50 years, and with it, the rate of childhood poverty and at-risk children has risen significantly. Sawhill advocates for targeting the ways that people (especially women and children) enter into poverty. The primary one being women who drift into unplanned pregnancies and motherhood. In order to address this, women will need goals, help with planning, and an education that allows them to live an independent life. She advocates for subsidized contraception, to include long-term options that are often controversial but effective. Once women have set goals, gotten a good education and found a decent career, then they could turn their attention and resources to finding a mate and starting a family. Sawhill’s ideas make what’s old into new again, but there is wisdom in what she says.
Another way to frame this is to see it as teaching young people about the benefits to delaying gratification VS acting impulsively and then paying for it, possibly for many years. Some women may take offense at Ms. Sawhill’s ideas and her focus on women—but it is women who will ultimately need to make the decisions that will determine their futures. The role of men will also continue to be very important as they would be required to step up, take responsibility for their children and be an important part of a shared life and family.
Maybe the Village is gone, but more traditional families do not have to be. If society gives its support to the well-being of children, it will begin with helping the young women and men who will be the parents of these children. Encouraging and supporting them in setting goals, getting a decent education and finding viable careers are all things that society can encourage and help foster. Maybe the village isn’t gone after all.
