Divorce Rates: Higher In Red States Or Blue States?

One of the oft-repeated sound bites of the 2004 presidential election was the issue of "traditional family values," poorly defined but claimed by Republicans as a conservative principle. In short, the conservative or "red" states were all about family values, while liberal or "blue" states were generally permissive.

As with most political generalizations, that stark division reinforced by the media was more myth than reality. You could say we're all shades of purple.

But a new federal study discussed in a Christian Science Monitor column pokes more holes in the flimsy, "red-state, blue-state" facade.

The study finds, among other things, that states emphasizing abstinence-only education, limiting access to contraception, restricting abortion and opposing same-sex marriage have higher rates of both teen pregnancy and divorce.

That doesn't mean teen pregnancy or divorce are direct results of those limits and restrictions, only that perhaps there are other ways to improve the success rates of marriage. The broader point made by the authors is that the embrace of traditional family values through legal policy doesn't often translate to the intended realization of those values.

This begs the question: Which factors do in fact exacerbate family strife, specifically the divorce rate?

The authors of the column cite sociologist Paul Amato, who concludes that the marriages most likely to end in divorce are those in which the woman would rather be a homemaker but is forced to seek work outside the home.

In other words, the economic realities that have made it increasingly difficult for American women to exclusively manage the household have created disillusionment among women; particularly conservative women. But plenty of "blue-state" women also would like the option of staying home to raise children and manage a family.

Again, most Americans in reality are shades of purple with respect to family values. And divorce is color-blind.

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