How

does family structure impact the social, educational, and economic outcomes of

kids? Is the nuclear family really just a myth constructed in the 1950s? Can

stable families advance the cause of social justice?

On this episode of “Are You Kidding Me?” Ian and Naomi are joined by AEI Visiting Scholar and UVA sociologist W. Bradford Wilcox as they discuss the latest research on family structure, along with a recent article in The Atlantic by David Brooks that has sparked a lot of discussion on the role of the nuclear family in 21st-century America.

Show Notes: – Conversations downplaying the power of the two-parent family (0:35) – Talking left, walking right (2:04) – Impact of the cultural revolution of the 60s and 70s on US families (4:45) – David Brooks’ analysis of the nuclear family (6:58) – Stable families advancing the cause of social justice (11:27) – The soft bigotry of low expectations (13:25)

Resources:  – Family Stability and the American Dream (Joint Economic Committee) – The nuclear family was a mistake (The Atlantic)