Since the 1970s, two-parent households have declined, while single-parent households have become more commonplace in the United States. This shift has occurred due to various factors, ranging from changes in labor markets, mass incarceration, and changing social norms surrounding marriage and parental responsibilities. In her book “The Two-Parent Privilege,” Melissa Kearny explores how this shift in family structure is related to childhood outcomes. Kearney argues that resources and stability afforded by a two-parent household yield significantly better outcomes: their children are much more likely to graduate high school, get a college degree, and have high earnings in the job market as adults. By contrast, children who grow up in single-parent households have substantially lower chances of such a life trajectory and are likely to raise their children alone. These empirical regularities have natural public policy implications.

Join University of Maryland Professor Melissa Kearney to discuss her new book and how modern trends in family structure perpetuate inequality and erode social mobility. Geoffrey Wodtke, Associate Director of the Stone Center, moderates the discussion. Steven Durlauf, Director of the Stone Center, Damon Jones, an Associate Director of the Stone Center, and Ariel Kalil, a Stone Center Advisor, offer expert commentary. This event aims to present its audience with evidence of the effects of family structure on childhood outcomes and to explore public policies to strengthen the potential for two-parent households while making the consequences of single-parent households less onerous.

This event was recorded on November 29th, 2023.

LINKS:

Full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvDMUTO7lxE&t=1646s

Harris School YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/@HarrisPublicPolicy

The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind (University of Chicago Press): https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/T/bo205550079.html