Family structure has a significant and consistent relationship with adolescent behaviour, with poorer outcomes for those in lone-parent families or families that experienced separation, according to a new report from the ESRI. The ‘Risk and Protective Factors in Adolescent Behaviour’ Report examines the role of family, school and neighbourhood characteristics in (mis)behaviour among young people. It […]
It never ceases to amaze me that despite all the wealth, experience and tradition of American cinema, it seldom matches the depth and humanity of the best Iranian films. Asghar Farhadi’s family drama A Separation, for instance, won an Oscar in 2012. I can’t think of many films which combine so successfully deep moral issues, intricate […]
The Vatican’s latest affirmation of marriage as the lifelong union of one man and one woman is presented as an unfeeling even judgmental rejection of the love of same sex couples. It is however just a re-iteration of the Church’s well considered understanding of what Scripture and Jesus have to say on the subject. The […]
The polyamory world is abuzz with excitement. Next Tuesday sees the release ofThree Dads and a Baby, a memoir about three gay guys in San Diego decided to begin a family. Dr Ian Jenkins, a doctor and the author, Jeremy Hodges, a zoo-keeper, and Dr Alan Mayfield, a psychiatrist, regard themselves as just your average, […]
2020 was a year of record population lows. Newly released Census Bureau population estimates show record lows in United States population growth, both in 2020 and for the entire 2010-to-2020 decade. California’s population shrank for the first time as far back as records go, with the Census Bureau estimates indicating that California’s population decreased by about 69,000 residents in […]
In today’s episode of The Van Maren Show, I speak with Dr. Charles Murray about why America has fallen apart and what we need to do about it. Dr. Murray first became well known in 1984 with the publication of Losing Ground, a piece which is credited with being the intellectual foundation for the Welfare […]
In a new book, political science professor at Boise State University, Professor Scott Yenor, makes it clear that the rise of individual autonomy brought about by the sexual revolution is hardly an “unmixed blessing”. In the book, The Recovery of Family Life: Exposing the Limits of Modern Ideologies, Professor Yenor skillfully examines the ideologies of contemporary liberalism, radical feminism, and sexual liberation […]
Call me a sucker for punishment, but this is a question that’s been on my mind since Social Democrat TD Holly Cairns raised this issue yesterday: The “ridiculous” lack of maternity leave for politicians is a major barrier to women entering public life, it has been claimed. Social Democrat TD Holly Cairns is pushing to […]
Women have achieved equal numbers in the workforce over the past 50 years but research shows that, collectively, they are far from contented. What is missing from our work culture? The answer, suggests Peruvian academic María Pia Chirinos in a paper delivered at a recent conference of the London-based Home Renaissance Foundation, is relationships based on […]
An English rugby star has called on the Government to incentivise marriage, as a new report shows cohabiting couples are four times more likely to separate, and that family instability is a leading cause for negative outcomes for children. Writing in The Telegraph England player Courtney Lawes said that in his view marriage provided stability to families, […]
Is it time we stop badmouthing fathers and instead step up to support them? _ _ _ _ _ _ A recent post on Imgur caught my eye for its startling glimpse into the true state of American families. Seeking to be a help to others, a young man posted a link to his father’s new YouTube […]
Our family were at a wedding a few months ago and a friend pointed out how loving and inclusive our children were with each other, and how they were so protective of their brother, Fiach. Although I brushed off the compliment it made me brim up with pride. She was right, my kids are fantastic […]