#5 Is Family Structures a Key Factor in Economic Growth?

OK interim study: Family structure key factor in economic growth

In previous posts I have mentioned and spoke about many advantages intact families have on all people involved but I have yet to come across this advantage until today.  The article linked above speaks about family structure as a key factor to economic growth.  I found this article very interesting because it is the first time I have come across this contribution that intact families have on our society. Although I do not 100% agree with this idea that stresses on maintaining an intact family and marriage is a key factor to economic growth, I believe it is a factor that should be explored and looked at more in depth.  In the article, focused on Oklahoma City, describes the ideas of Patrick Fagan. He says that a desire for economic progress should promote "intact families" by policymakers in order to do so.  Fagan explains that intact families improve a wide range of social and economic outcomes. The article explains the decrease in the percentage of intact families and relates it to our steadily decreasing economy to display the connection between these two factors. A quote by Patrick Fagan that I found very interesting was "The single biggest program for reducing poverty is not a program- It's marriage." I personally believe that family structure has an effect on our economy but i do not believe it is the key factor to our economic growth.

#4 Taking Steps to Avoid Divorce

Keeping Your Marriage Intact- Ways to stop Divorce

Keeping your marriage intact is vital in any family and the video I watched, that is displayed above, lists a few steps and explanations for ways to stop divorce for couples in the future.  The video states that taking the option of divorce off the table, communication, and making it work are three steps that can be looked at ahead of time in a marriage.  The video explains that before going into a marriage the couple needs to agree that divorce is not an option.  They cannot continue in the marriage with the idea that if it doesn't work out they can just get a divorce because that is setting up the marriage for an option of failure already. When the video talks about communication it explains that "communication is key." A couple should be able to speak to each other about anything.  This is a factor that can be looked at before marriage because you need to build good communication in any step of a relationship.  Communication is crucial and will impact the marriage tremendously in the future if the couple cannot communicate with each other.  "Making it work"is the last step that the video talks about.  It explains that if a couple is willing to do anything to save their marriage it will most likely not fail.
Although I agree that in some cases it is more unhealthy to stay in a marriage then to leave I also think that taking steps to maintain your marriage with another person is beneficial for any family.  As I have spoke about in previous posts, there are many advantages for intact marriages and families for anyone involved.  I agree that the steps the video talks about in order to prevent a divorce may be helpful and should be considered prior to marriage.

#3 Connection Between Intact Marriages and Academic Success

Research shows Correlation Between Intact Marriages and Academic Success

The article I read regarding the connection between marriage and academic success speaks to the idea that the children of intact families preform better academically.  Research shows that children from intact families have higher math, science and reading test scores than children from "disrupted families."  Research also shows that children from intact families have higher academic expectations placed on them by their parents and supervision of their schoolwork as opposed to children from non-intact families.  The article explains some of the benefits for children in intact families such as finishing high school and college, the motivation to do well and not being expelled or suspended from school in comparison to children from disrupted families.

I chose this article because I think it further supports my last post on the benefits an intact marriage has on children in the world today.  I agree with the information given about the effects parent's marriage can have on children based on observation of people around me.  I also believe that these benefits and consequences should be looked into more by adults and parents because the actions of parents to not get married, separate, or divorce can have a profound effect on their children in the future.

#2 Benefits of Marriage and Family: In-Tact

Benefits of Family for Children and Adults

As my first blog post about the topic “Marriage and Family: In-Tact,” I thought I would begin by looking at the benefits of an intact family in comparison to that of a divorced or unmarried family. The article “Benefits of Family for Children and Adults” describes the multitude of advantages both children and adults receive as being a part of an intact family.  Some of the advantages include fewer behavioral problems, better results academically, and healthier romantic relationships in the future for children.  Although it is often thought to be beneficial for the couple involved to not to be married or to divorce for the well-being and happiness of the family members, these actions have a profound effect on all people involved.  The article speaks about the psychological effects being married can have on both the mother and the father.  The results of the studies taken show that married mothers are more inclined to create a better environment for their infants and are less likely to experience violence or abuse in their lives.  Some of the effects being married have on fathers included better psychological well-being and more time spent at home with their children, which is also beneficial for the children.  The benefits for children in an intact family are greater than those of the parents.  Some of the other advantages for children talked about in the article include better emotional health, a safer home environment, and the tendency to be more religious in adulthood.  Some connections made in the article that I found interesting were the connections between sexual activity and substance abuse in teens and their link to marriage and family.  The article describes that teens that have dinner with their family at least 5 times a week are less likely to be involved in substance abuse than teens who have dinner with their family only two nights a week.  The article also explained that teens in an intact family are less likely to be involved in sexual activity than teens that were not living with two married parents. I found this article very interesting and I believe that these are only some of the benefits for children and adults in an intact family.  The article talks more about the statistics of these benefits compared to children of unmarried or divorced parents and provide valid points for why intact marriages and families are positive for all members.

#1 Why "Marriage and Family: In-Tact?"

Hi my name is Holly Severino and the topic I chose to blog about is "Marriage and Family: In-Tact." This topic interested me because I want to learn more and research this subject throughout this semester.