Transcript Community and Marriage - Truro Anglican Church

Community
and
Marriage
Sociological Findings
Agenda
1. Introductions
2. Marriage positively affects community
3. Community positively affects marriage
4. Community counters culture
5. Conclusion
6. Q & A
Introductions
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Avery Pettway
Chaney Mullins
Family Research Council
National Marriage Project
Sociology and Religion
“To understand God's thoughts, we must study statistics for
these are the measure of His purpose.” -Florence Nightingale
Marriage Affects Community: Economy
“Marriage is an important
public good, associated with a
range of economic, health,
educational and safety benefits
that help local, state, and
federal governments serve the
common good.” (Why
Marriage Matters)
GDP report (MARRI, 2011)
Marriage Affects Community: Income Inequality
“The benefits of marriage extend to poor,
working-class and minority communities,
despite the fact that marriage has weakened
in these communities in the last four
decades.” (Why Marriage Matters)
Birth rates rise in low income communities.
Proportion of kids in upper vs lower income
communities is starker, meaning that soon
most children born will be born in lower
income communities where out of wedlock
birth is much more likely.
Marriage Affects Community: Economic Mobility
“Lower-income kids from both single- and
married-parent families are more likely to
succeed if they hail from a community with
lots of two-parent families.”
“The ‘land[s] of opportunity’ in America is
that communities characterized by a thriving
middle class, racial and economic
integration, better schools, a vibrant civil
society, and, especially, strong two-parent
families are more likely to foster the kind of
equality of opportunity that has recently
drawn the attention of Democrats and
Republicans alike.” (Slate: “Family Matters:
What’s the most important factor blocking
social mobility? Single parents, suggests a
new study.”)
Marriage Affects Community: Education
Marriage Affects Community: Ethnic Diversity
“Children growing up in
communities that are racially
segregated, or cluster lots of
poor kids together, do not have
a great shot at the American
Dream.” (Slate)
Ethnic segregation also
decreases upward mobility, a
reason to have diverse
communities at church, that
minorities might have more
mobility through both racial
integration and through
encountering a strong marriage
culture, which are related.
Community Affects Marriage: Religion
Misconception:
“50% of marriages end in divorce, even
amongst Christians.”
about 40% marriages end in divorce
Men and women who attend church
together are more likely to succeed in their
marriages and more than 35% less likely
to divorce.
Community Affects Marriage: Religion
Community Affects Marriage: Religion
Community Affects Marriage: Social Capital
Acceptance
Accountability
Advice
Assistance
Activity
“Communities with more social capital
enjoy significantly higher levels of
absolute mobility for poor children. That
is, communities across America that
have high levels of religiosity, civic
engagement, and voter involvement are
more likely to lift the fortunes of their
poorest members.” (Slate)
Social Capital is a safety net for social
and relational needs. Which then
extend to economic needs.
Community Affects Marriage: Alternative Families
Generational Relevance
Stability and Adventure
Spiritual Families
“The intact majority bolsters the non-intact few, and all can be pushed towards mobility and
strength—so long as marriage is the dominant culture of the community.” (Avery Pettway:
“Marriage Minded Community”)
“If we hope to avoid this broken outcome becoming our national standard of success, married
couples must be the driving force in encouraging and supporting marriage for their communities.”
(Avery Pettway: “Marriage Minded Community”)
Community Counters Culture: Re-emphasizing Marriage
“Single parents and broken family structures
are becoming more the norm in the United
States as divorces increase, out-of-wedlock
births rise among many people groups, and
marriage loses public and political esteem.”
(Avery Pettway: Marriage Minded
Community)
marri – Annual Report
on Family Trends:2011
Community Counters Culture: Young Marriage
The stability of young
marriage carries into grad
school/career
OR
The individualism of grad
school/career carries into
marriage
CAPSTONE OR CORNERSTONE?
As higher income
communities delay
marriage, they face issues
of lower marital happiness,
premarital abortion rates,
and later infertility due to
age. Both a higher age at
first birth and abortion are
also linked to an increased
breast cancer risk in some
studies.
Learn More
marri.us
nationalmarriageproject.org
Conclusion: Strengthening Marriage and Community at Truro
Symbiotic Meeting
Amore Groups
That’s Amore!
March 1st 9:00-3:30
The Marriage Course
Q&A