Here's some good news that almost slipped right by us:
It is no longer true that the divorce rate is rising, or that half of all marriages end in divorce. It has not been for some time. Even though social scientists have tried to debunk those myths, somehow the conventional wisdom has held.
Despite hand-wringing about the institution of marriage, marriages in this country are stronger today than they have been in a long time. The divorce rate peaked in the 1970s and early 1980s and has been declining for the three decades since.
That "half of all marriages end in divorce" warning has been part of the background noise all my adult life. I've never quite believed it, but based on observations of the people aound me it's been hard to dispute. I'm glad it's finally gone.
But, wait. This may not be all good news:
The marriage trends aren’t entirely happy ones. They also happen to be a force behind rising economic and social inequality, because the decline in divorce is concentrated among people with college degrees. For the less educated, divorce rates are closer to those of the peak divorce years.
God, these people are obsessed with "inequality." Because not all groups value marriage equally, we should disparage those who do embrace it? Here's a thought, you twits: Maybe it's not that the economically well-off are staying married. Maybe staying married contributes to economic well-being.
(via The Corner)
