It Takes a Family to Raise a Village
by Steve Watters on 04/30/2009 at 9:09 AM
Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse is one of my favorite family scholars. A few years ago, she wrote an excellent article for Boundless about cohabitation called "Why not take her for a test drive?" Around that time, Candice and I met her when she spoke at a Chuck Colson conference held here in Colorado Springs.
Dr. Morse taught economics for 15 years at George Mason University and Yale University before moving to California where she has spent several years combining motherhood with writing and lecturing. She is the author of the books Love and Economics: Why the Laissez-Faire Family Doesn't Work and Smart Sex: Finding Life-long Love In A Hook-up World.
I caught up with Dr. Morse on the phone the other day and I was encouraged to hear about the work she's now doing on college campuses through an organization she created called The Ruth Institute. Following on the model of the Federalist Society, Dr. Morse is working to help students bring great marriage speakers to their campuses.
She has also planned an event August 6th through the 9th targeting student leaders who would like to be marriage champions on their campuses. The conference, taking place at the University of San Diego, is called "It Takes a Family to Raise a Village." The deadline to apply for this special event is next Monday May 4th.
Sure would be great to see some Boundless readers get a chance to participate.
1. Janice said the following at 11:16 AM on Apr 30:
This actually makes me wish I were still a student!
2. Tim said the following at 4:35 PM on Apr 30:
I am a grad student. I emailed Ruth and they said they'd be happy for me to apply.
3. BDB said the following at 5:45 PM on Apr 30:
At first I thought this meant "Raze" a village, in which case, it takes a bulldozer...
4. Louise from Chicago said the following at 1:44 PM on May 1:
I just read the article by Jennifer Morse.
Marriages often fail...what about the "feelings of remorse" that occur after a failed marriage?
And what about hurt feelings when one spouse decides to abandon the other spouse?
Do these feelings only exist with unmarried co-habitating couples?
5. Gina said the following at 9:57 PM on May 1:
Louise from Chicago had the following to say on May 1 at 1:44 PM:
quote: "I just read the article by Jennifer Morse.
Marriages often fail...what about the "feelings of remorse" that occur after a failed marriage?
And what about hurt feelings when one spouse decides to abandon the other spouse?
Do these feelings only exist with unmarried co-habitating couples?" -end quote.-
-No, but she isn't so much talking about failed relationships as she is about THE relationship, is it built on commitment or no? A relationship without commitment would be a more unsure and shaky one,then one with which both have commited themselfs.
6. Louise from Chicago said the following at 9:37 AM on May 2:
Comment 5 good point, but I just wanted to note that rejection and subsequent hurt feelings can occur after marriage too!
I think I lot of people believe that once they find a spouse the "work" is done...well the work is just beginning!
Not that working hard to succeed in marriage is bad of course!