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UnitSevenANewFocusonFamilyValuesByHaraEstroffMarano-Nov97,PsychologyTodaybringinto～把焦点对准；使成为焦点bring［thecamera[anobject]into～把照相机焦点对准．．．in～焦点对准；清晰地outof～焦点未对准；模糊地～one’sattentionon集中注意力于．．．～onone’scareer全身贯注在职业前途上Questions•1.Whatdoyouthinkisthebestwaytokeepfamiliesstable?•2.Divorcedoesinfluencemanandwomaninthefamily.Whodoyouthinkwilllosemoreinit?•3.Whatisanidealmarriageinyouropinion?Text•Politiciansandleaderskeepchampioningfamilyvalues,butwherearetheprogramsthatcantrulyhelpthediversetapestryofAmericanfamilies?WesenteditoratlargeHaraEstroffMaranotoagroundbreakingconferencetodiscoverwhatreallybringsandkeepsfamiliestogether.•Foryearsthedebateonfamilyvalueshasfocusedmoreonideologythanonwhatactuallykeepsfamiliestogether.Nowsocialscientistsaretryingtoshiftthebasisoffamilypolicyfrompoliticstoresearch.Familyissueshavelongbeenheldprisonerbypolitics,andaparticularlynarrowcellofpoliticsatthat.Tocareaboutfamiliesistohave“familyvalues,”atermthathasbeenco-optedbyideologies,especiallythoseonthepoliticalright.Conservativeshavenotsimplydominatedpublicdiscourseoffamilyissues;theyhaveframedthedebate.Andforsometimenow,tobe“profamily”haslargelyboileddowntoonething:beingagainstdivorce.CertainlytherehavebeengreatchangesintheAmericanfamilyoverthepastseveraldecades.Onechildinfourisnowborntounmarriedparents.Thenumberofcoupleswholivetogetheroutsideofmarriagehasincreasedsevenfoldsince1970.Divorcehasbeenepidemicforsome25years.Andfamilieswithchildrenarefeelingparticularlyburdenedthesedays,asmoreandmorekidsgrowuppoor.Thepoliticalrightinsiststhatsuchproblemsarefalloutfromliberalizationofthedivorcelawswhichoccurredthroughoutthe1970sandearly80s,andithasbegunacampaigntorewriteorrepeallawsthatalloweasy-to-obtain,no-faultdivorces.InlateJune,LouisianamarkedthefirstlegislativesuccessofanationwidemovementledbyconservativeChristians:thestatenowpermitscoupleswhoaretyingtheknottochooseaparticularlybindingmarriagecontract,called“covenantmarriage,”abiblical-soundingtermforthecovenantwithgodembodiedinChristianmarriage.Couplescanstillchoseastandardmarriage,dissolvablebyno-faultdivorce,ortheycanchooseacovenantmarriage,whichcanbeendedonlyifonespousecanprovetheotherhascommittedadultery,abandonedthehome,beensentencedtoprisonforafelony,abusedthespouseorchild.Aseparationofatleasttwoyearswouldberequiredbeforethemarriagecouldend.Butaroundthecountryindependentthinkersarebeginningtoalterthenatureofthedebate.Theybelievethatfamilyissuesandfamilypolicyhavebeendefinedtoonarrowlyfortoolong.Theyseeamuchbroaderarrayofactions—bygovernmentandbusinessaswellasbyindividuals—thatimpactfamilies,theirproblems,andtheformstheytake:theroleeconomicpoliciesplay,subtlyorovertly,ininfluencingfamilycomposition;likewisetheavailabilityofjobsorjobtraining;theavailabilityofsuitablemen;andmuchmore.The“M”WordOneofthenewthinkersisTheodoraOoms,MSW,executivedirectoroftheFamilyImpactSeminar,aWashington-basedthinktank.Shecontendsthatwhileofficialshavevowedto“strengthenandsupportfamilies,”theyhaveleftouttheprimaryingredient.“Programsandservicesdesignedtosupportfamiliesinfactfocusonlyonmothersandchildren,”shesays.Worse,“thecornerstoneofthefamily—therelationshipofthecouple,whethermarriedorunmarried—hasbeenessentiallyignored.”Atarecenttwo-dayroundtableinWashington,Oomsinvitedscholarstoshifttheepicenteroffamily-valuesdiscussionfromideologytoresearch-basedinformation.Theultimategoal:tobroadenfamilypolicysothatitisinformedbyallthefacts,takesintoaccounttheneedsofallthemembersofafamily,andsupportstherelationshipthatisthefamilyfoundation--withoutcondemningthosewomenwhoareraisingchildrenontheirown.Omsbelievesthataprimarywaytosupportfamiliesisnottomakethemarriagecontractmorebindinglegally.Thathastheeffectoftrappingunhappyfamiliesintheirmiseryand,perhaps,exposingwomentodanger.Andbyraisingthe“cost”ofmarriage,itcouldwelldrivemorecouplesintocohabitation,wherenolegalprotectionexistsforeitherpartnerorforanychildren.Themostsensibleapproachisnottomakemarriagehardertogetoutof,buttomakemarriagebettertobein.Afterall,Oomspointsout,marriageremainsagoalforthevastmajorityofAmericans.Ninetypercentmarry—and,ofcourse,wanttheirmarriagestowork.“It’spuzzling,”shesays,“thatpolicy-makershaveinvestedsolittleinfindingoutwhat,ifanything,canbedonetohelpmarriagessucceed.”In“tribute”totheiravoidance,Oomsoftenreferstomarriageas“theM-word.”getoutof从...之中获得;避免,使说出getahead进步[展];成功;长进getaheadanddoit[美]快干getaheadof超[胜]过BetterSexOnereasonmarriageisdesirableisthatwhenitworkswell,ithasemotionalpayoffsforpartners.ButLindaWaite,Ph.D.,asociologistattheUniversityofChicago,hasmarshaledevidencethatmarriagealsohassubstantialbenefitsforhealthandwell-being.AmongthefindingsWaitereports:*Marriedmendrinkless,livemoresafely,andlivelonger.Especiallyformen,marriagesuppliesanetworkofemotionalsupport.*Marriedwomenhavebetterhealth,andliveinbettermaterialcircumstances,thansingleorcohabitingwomen.*Marriedpeopleleadmoreactivesexlives.Whilecohabitingcoupleshavesimilarlyhighlevelsofsex,marriedmenandwomenhavemoresatisfactioninthebedroom.That'sbecausemarriedpeopleknowthet