Category Archives: Family

Groundbreaking Study on Alternative Families

Tweet This morning a reputable scholarly journal published two key studies that could unsettle some of the happy talk about alternative family forms. The studies have already been the subject of major stories in the Deseret News and Washington Times. Maggie … Continue reading

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Children of the revolution

Tweet In a book review in The Family in America, I proposed an analogy: “Today’s young adults are undeniably well-off and thriving materially. They enjoy opportunities and resources unheard of, even among their boomer parents. In terms of family and … Continue reading

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Family and religion: a harmonious union

Tweet A Sutherland newsletter from last year noted the links between family and religion. It explained: “Church and family are mutually supportive. Religious teachings about marriage, sexuality, obligations of spouses and parents, etc., bolster the natural affections of family life. … Continue reading

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Family issues in Utah Foundation survey raise more questions

Tweet The Utah Foundation recently released a helpful survey of voter and party delegate attitudes on a range of issues. I’ve spent some time looking at the four questions related to family issues and have a couple of general observations. … Continue reading

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Who’s paying for the party?

Tweet A recent study by BYU professors (see here and here) tells us that when parents pay for their children’s college, those children are more likely to engage in risky behaviors like alcohol abuse than those who pay their own way, … Continue reading

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Another strike against cohabitation: mom’s boyfriend can be deadly

Tweet This blog has noted previously some of the problems with a recent spate of stories purporting to show that cohabitation is not necessarily so bad (see here and here). Last week, the Deseret News ran a story reporting on … Continue reading

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‘Never worked a day in her life’ vs. the 95-hour work week

Tweet It’s likely that you heard about the recent controversial remarks from Democratic lobbyist and pundit Hilary Rosen during an appearance on CNN: “His wife has actually never worked a day in her life. She’s never really dealt with the … Continue reading

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‘Old rules’ about marriage obsolete? No, and here’s why

Tweet On March 25, 2012, The Salt Lake Tribune editorialized on “Marriage reality: Old rules becoming obsolete.” To understand the chasm separating its reality from truth, it would be helpful to deconstruct its opinions. The Tribune’s editorial begins, “There was … Continue reading

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What’s beyond the pale?

Tweet In 1770, Edmund Burke said: “They who can read the political sky will see a hurricane in a cloud no bigger than an hand at the very edge of the horizon, and will run into the first harbor.” A … Continue reading

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9th Circuit rejects Prop 8: what’s next?

Tweet Two judges of a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit have just ruled that California’s marriage amendment, approved by voters in November 2008, violates the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which was ratified in … Continue reading

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Strengthen Marriage, Strengthen the Economy

Tweet   Ruth Marcus, an opinion writer at the Washington Post, recently wrote: “[Marital] decline isn’t just a social problem. It’s also an economic problem.” Recent trends in marriage have shown higher marriage rates for college-educated, high-income individuals and lower … Continue reading

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News roundup: Remove obese children from their homes?

Tweet   Child custody and obesity Should government take children from their parents if the children become obese? In Ohio, parents lost custody of their 8-year-old son because he weighed more than 200 pounds. The boy was placed in foster … Continue reading

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Treasure trove of new research on the family

Tweet   Those interested in family policy have an embarrassment of riches in new research reports issued over the last few months. Brad Wilcox of the University of Virginia, probably the premier family scholar in the United States, has updated … Continue reading

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100-year-old patriarch is witness to staggering change

Tweet   My grandpa, Martin Buer, turns 100 today. Born in 1911, Grandpa went on to become a top breeder of grand champion cattle out of his Minnesota ranch. To keep the peace with a disgruntled family member, Grandpa gave … Continue reading

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‘Cult’ accusation is a bigoted blast from the past

Tweet   When evangelical pastor Robert Jeffress called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a “cult” at the Values Voters Summit, a huge gathering of the “pro-family movement,” it brought back all sorts of thoughts for me. Permit … Continue reading

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