W. Bradford Wilcox

National Marriage Project University of Virginia

 Where are we headed?

 1. The Retreat from Marriage in America    2. The Impact on Education 3. The Impact on the Catholic Church 4. What Can Universities Do?

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 Since the 1960s, the U.S. has witnessed a marked retreat from marriage. The institution of marriage has lost authority, power, and social functions.    Marriage is less likely to anchor the adult life course Marriage is less likely to frame adult sexual and/or coresidential romantic relationships Marriage is less likely to provide a stable context for the bearing and rearing of children 3

Percentage of Persons Age 35 through 44 Who Were Married, by Sex, 1960– 2008, U.S. Census Bureau

100 95 90 88 85 80 75 70 65 1960 89 1970 84 1980 74 1990 69 2000 Men Women

Year

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 Percent of married adults reporting “very happy” 75 70 70 68 66 65 65 66 63 63 63 64 60 62 60 60 61 60 55 1973 –1976 1977 –1981 1982 –1986 1987 –1991 1993 –1996 1998 –2002 2004 –2008 Men Women 6

7 4 3 6 5 8

Number of Unmarried Cohabiting Adult Opposite-Sex Couples, by Year, United States

2,9 3,8 2 1 0,4 0 1960 0,5 1970 1,6 1980 1990 2000

Year

7,5 2010 7

80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 5

Percentage of Live Births to Unmarried Women, by Year, United States a Percentage of Live Births to Unmarried Women, by Year, United States a

80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 5 1960 11 1970 18 18 1980 Year 28 33 2000 33 41 2008 All 41 Blacks Whites All Blacks 11 Whites 0 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2008 Year 8

Percentage of Children Under Age 18 Living with Two Married Parents by Year and Race, Source: NMP 2010

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 1960 88 1970 85 1980 77 1990 73 2000 69 2009 67 All Blacks Whites

Year

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 The retreat from marriage has hit working class and poor Americans especially hard.

 College-educated Americans have been much less affected by this retreat.

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60% 50% 40% 30% 90% 80% 70% 65% 52% 74% 58% 80% 81% Least-educated Mother Moderately Educated Mother Highly Educated Mother 1974–81 2000–07 11

  The nation’s (stratified) retreat from marriage means that children who are fortunate enough to come from an intact, married family are more likely to  Graduate from high school & college.

Young adults who live chastely are more likely to flourish in college: ▪ Chaste women have fewer emotional problems; ▪ Chaste men do better academically.

% Teens dropping out of high school 20 15 US 10 5 0 Intact Single Family Status Source: McLanahan and Sandefur 1994 13

15 10 5 0 40 35 30 25 20

Percent of Young Adults Graduating from College (Add Health 2008)

38 20 Intact Non-intact

 Thus, children who hail from intact, married homes are more likely to succeed in their academic vocations.

 Unfortunately, given the fact that marriage is now strongest among the most educated and affluent Americans, this means that children from these homes are often doubly advantaged by  their parents’ marriage & socioeconomic resources.

 Mix of Hanging Out, Hooking Up, Joined at the Hip, Semi-traditional Dating  No single set of courtship norms and common courtship practices to guide relationships.

 40-64% of college students report hooking up (Regnerus 2011).

 Psychological effects are more profound for women  One study: In previous year for those who hooked up: ▪ Women: ▪ 49% reported a negative reaction ▪ 25% reported an ambivalent reaction ▪ 26% reported a positive reaction ▪ Men: ▪ 26% reported a negative reaction ▪ 24% reported an ambivalent reaction ▪ 50% reported a positive reaction ▪ Source: (Owen et al 2009)

20 20 2 0 8 6 4 20 18 16 14 12 10 12 Zero 6 15 8 7 One Two-Five Six+ 10 Women Men

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Players get distracted

 Economist Joseph Sabia (2007) finds that sexually active young men do significantly poorer in their academic work ▪ The pleasures of sex “may induce boys to choose immediate investments in sex over schooling.” ▪ Status & pleasure > school

 The fortunes of the Catholic Church in the U.S. rise & fall with the fortunes of the intact, married family  Intact married families ▪ ▪ Successfully socialize children into the faith & Orient adults to the moral, social, & spiritual goods found in the faith 20

 Parenthood draws adults into the Church  1) Parenthood is a generative experience   2) Churches supply religious and moral education to children 3) Churches offer parent-centered social networks where parents receive social support & counsel 21

 Marriage fosters higher religious practice    1) The Church lends social, religious, and moral support to marriage 2) Marriage associated with prosocial norms 3) Churches supply marriage-centered networks to couples 22

70%

Family Demography and Weekly Religious Attendance among U.S. Adults (18-60)

62% 60% 50% 40% 30% 14% 20% 10% 0% -10% -20% -30% Unmarried with Kids Married, No Kids Married with Kids -23%

Source: General Social Survey (1972-2008) Note: Analysis controls for income, education, race, ethnicity, region, sex, age, and year.

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35 30 25 20 50 45 40

Percent Attending 2 Times a Month or More (Source: GSS)

44 39 1970s 2000s 24

 How can Catholic colleges & universities strengthen marriage?

 Require classes that provide a theological & social scientific view of marriage  Act In Loco Parentis 25

 Most colleges & universities are doing poorly in preparing the next generation for one of the most important sources of meaning and purpose in life— the vocation of marriage.  For instance, most students are ignorant of the fact that premarital sex is a risk factor for divorce (Paik 2011).

 Catholic colleges can remedy this ignorance with theological & sociological classes.

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 Given the academic, marital, & religious importance of renewing the collegiate relationship culture, Catholic colleges and universities should  Support single-sex dorms  Rely on parietals to govern visitation  Support student groups seeking to educate their peers about sex & marriage  Make the sacraments readily available to students.