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Breakpoint: America’s marriage deserts: We weren’t made to live in a marriage-arid society

September 21, 2024
Breakpoint: America’s marriage deserts: We weren’t made to live in a marriage-arid society

For years, the term "food desert" was a way experts described areas of the country where fresh, unprocessed groceries are difficult to find. The key insight captured by this term is that obesity and other diet-related health problems aren't solely a matter of individual choice, especially for children. They are at least partly determined by access — or lack thereof — to quality food where people live.

What if a similar pattern applies to marriage? What if there are sections of the country best characterized as "marriage deserts," where lasting unions aren't just rare but virtually nonexistent? That's the argument sociologist Brad Wilcox and writer Chris Bullivant made recently in Deseret News.

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