The State of Our Unions by Steve Watters on 09/28/2006 at 12:30 PM

The State of Our Unions 2006 report that Roberto talks about in his new article opens with a troubling essay called "Life Without Children."

It offers a concerning picture of where family fits into our current (and future) culture. Below, I've excerpted several points from the conclusion of that essay.

We are in the midst of a profound change in American life. Demographically, socially and culturally, the nation is shifting from a society of child-rearing families to a society of child-free adults.... Indeed, if the twentieth century aspired to become the “century of the child,” the twenty-first may well become the century of the child-free.

The repercussions of this change are apparent in nearly every domain of American life....

Likewise, the popular culture is increasingly oriented to fulfilling the X-rated fantasies and desires of adults. The “adult entertainment industry,” which includes gambling, pornography and sex, is one of the fastest growing and most lucrative sectors of the consumer economy....

More generally and pervasively, the expressive values of the adult-only world are at odds with the values of the child-rearing world. Indeed, child-rearing values — sacrifice, stability, dependability, maturity — seem stale and musty by comparison. Nor does the bone-wearying and time-consuming work of the child-rearing years comport with a culture of fun and freedom. Indeed, what it takes to raise children is almost the opposite of what popularly defines a satisfying adult life....

It is hard enough to rear children in a society that is organized to support that essential social task. Consider how much more difficult it becomes when a society is indifferent at best, and hostile, at worst, to those who are caring for the next generation.

Read the entire report at The National Marriage Project Website.

The State of Our Unions by Steve Watters on 09/28/2006 at 12:30 PM

The State of Our Unions 2006 report that Roberto talks about in his new article opens with a troubling essay called "Life Without Children."

It offers a concerning picture of where family fits into our current (and future) culture. Below, I've excerpted several points from the conclusion of that essay.

We are in the midst of a profound change in American life. Demographically, socially and culturally, the nation is shifting from a society of child-rearing families to a society of child-free adults.... Indeed, if the twentieth century aspired to become the “century of the child,” the twenty-first may well become the century of the child-free.

The repercussions of this change are apparent in nearly every domain of American life....

Likewise, the popular culture is increasingly oriented to fulfilling the X-rated fantasies and desires of adults. The “adult entertainment industry,” which includes gambling, pornography and sex, is one of the fastest growing and most lucrative sectors of the consumer economy....

More generally and pervasively, the expressive values of the adult-only world are at odds with the values of the child-rearing world. Indeed, child-rearing values — sacrifice, stability, dependability, maturity — seem stale and musty by comparison. Nor does the bone-wearying and time-consuming work of the child-rearing years comport with a culture of fun and freedom. Indeed, what it takes to raise children is almost the opposite of what popularly defines a satisfying adult life....

It is hard enough to rear children in a society that is organized to support that essential social task. Consider how much more difficult it becomes when a society is indifferent at best, and hostile, at worst, to those who are caring for the next generation.

Read the entire report at The National Marriage Project Website.