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The American Family

Over the past half-century, the structure of the American family has changed remarkably. What exactly has happened? Why did it happen? How should we think about these changes? And how can we move forward to ensure a healthy and prosperous American society for years to come? These are important questions, and we at Values & Capitalism are eager to engage with them. Join us in the discussion:

The American family: How a ‘new normal’ is reshaping religion, work, and today’s economy: On October 10th, Values & Capitalism hosted an event at AEI that explored how the ‘new normal’ in family structure will affect our workplaces, faith communities and economy in the coming decades. The event featured leading thinkers Mary Eberstadt of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Nick Schulz formerly of AEI and author of Home Economics: The Consequences of Changing Family Structure, and W. Bradford Wilcox of the National Marriage Project and AEI.

The American Family Is Changing: This video and info-graphic help us understand the current state of the family in America. They describe what has happened, explain some of the causes and also detail the consequences of these changes.

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Home Economics: The Consequences of Changing Family Structure: In this Values & Capitalism book, Nick Schulz traces the changes in family structure over the past 50 years, explores the consequences of family changes and offers ideas for how to handle the issue in years to come.

From the Blog:

Broken Families, Broken Economy: Tyler Castle discusses the breakdown of the family in America, explaining why it is not something to be ignored.

“The process of making human beings human is breaking down in America,” says social scientist James Coleman. That’s stark language—but for good reason. Massive changes in U.S. family structure over the last 50 years may be America’s biggest problem—and yet, no one is willing to talk about it.

America’s Middle Class: Why Average Is Over: Reviewing Tyler Cowen’s recent book, David Wilezol notes that even libertarians, who typically “eschew doctrinaire political and social conservatism,” are becoming concerned with changes in family structure.

But Cowen wisely also recognizes that initiatives like intellectual property law reform, sound monetary policy and a digital disruption of K-12 education aren’t the only factor that go into rebuilding a competitive economy. He also notes some of the cultural dynamics that are valuable to the effort.

Why the ‘Family Matters’ in EconomicsOver at Mere Orthodoxy, Michael Hendrix writes on Nick Schulz’s book, “Home Economics: The Consequences of Changing Family Structure.”

…The decline of the American family is the most pressing challenge of the 21st century. As Nick Schulz has so rightly shown in his new book, our economy needs strong families—and our society depends on them. We should stop ignoring this reality.