When Harvard social scientist and celebrated author Robert Putnam lists the challenges facing poor Americans, family structure is always at the top – above jobs, schools, rising inequality or the weakening of civil society. And his new book, “Our Kids,” has received great attention and praise for documenting the growing outcome gaps between kids who grow up with two educated parents and those who do not.
But sadly, at a recent summit on poverty, after he listed family structure first, Putnam said, “But what can you do?” He then quickly moved on to the other challenges, which can be addressed with the classic government interventions of programs and more spending. In this way, Putnam reflects the general attitude of people on the left, including the president of the United States, who now pointedly acknowledge that family structure matters a lot in determining the prospects for children, and that kids on average do better when they have the benefit of growing up with two married parents – but then say we can’t do anything about that , so let’s talk about more government programs to make up for the parenting gap.
This article appeared in US News & World Report on May 21, 2015. It will be published here on May 28, 2015.
from AEI » Latest Content http://ift.tt/1Ai4yr2
0 التعليقات:
Post a Comment