America's Youth | The Adverse Effects of Fatherlessness Have Been Exaggerated

Our cultural mythology about parenting is that there is “one right way” to raise children. Most people believe that the best way to raise children is with both a stay-athome mother (at least while the kids are young) and a breadwinner father in a long-term marriage that lasts “till death do us part.” We have been told that any family that is different from this norm shortchanges youngsters.

This point of view has become known as the family values perspective. However, the majority of families do not fit this model. Most mothers have to, or want to, be part of the paid...

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