The Answer to Welfare is Marriage???

National Public Radio is running a series this week on Marriage Education. The first part of the series examines a federally-backed marriage education curriculum required of some women on welfare in Oklahoma. This twelve hour course is funded by a 1.5 billion dollar initiative to promote marriage. That 1.5 billion is carved out of the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program. The rationale is that a healthy marriage stabilizes emotional and economic life. That can also be translated as marriages reduce the welfare load. The stated goals of the Oklahoma program include “reversing generations of divorce” and “creating productive relationships that end in marriage.” Topics include selecting a mate and developing communication skills.

Few people can argue that teaching communication skills or supporting marriages are bad things. But like anything, the real test is how we put the plan into action. What is interesting about this program is that the women in it are not married, there are only women in the class and the class is required as part of their welfare eligibility. These facts raise a number of questions ranging from how effective marriage education can be without both partners or indeed for single people, and whether there any men out there who have to take the course. The more interesting philosophical question is why link marriage and welfare reform at all? Are we trying to solve one set of social problems just to create another? And my favorite question – do homosexuals get to opt out?