pewsocialtrends.org | Family and Relationships

Women, Men and the New Economics of Marriage

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

In the past, when relatively few wives worked, marriage enhanced the economic status of women more than that of men. Recently, however, the economic gains associated with marriage have been greater for men.

Home for the Holidays... and Every Other Day

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

The journey home for Thanksgiving won't be quite so far this year for many young adults. Instead of traveling across country or across town, many grown sons and daughters will be coming to dinner from their old bedroom down the hall, which now doubles as their recession-era refuge.

The States of Marriage and Divorce

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

Men and women marry young in Arkansas and Oklahoma. They also marry often: about one-in-ten married adults in those two states have been married three times or more. Texas leads the nation in the number of thrice-married adults, but that�s partly because it has so many adults, period. Its rate is close to the national average.

End-of-Life Decisions: How Americans Cope

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST

While most Americans approve of laws that say treatment can be stopped if that's what a terminally ill patient desires, they are split on what they would do personally in that situation. Only 27% have put into writing their own wishes regarding end-of-life care.

Public Has Split Verdict on Increased Level of Unmarried Motherhood

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

There is a stronger consensus in public opinion about the social cost of out-of-wedlock births than there is about the morality of these births.

Magnet or Sticky?

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

At first glance, magnet and sticky states may seem to be mirror opposites of each other, and it is true that most states score high on one scale and low on another. But it turns out that 10 states rank high on both scales, and another nine score low on both. Find out where your state lands in the typology below.

Who Moves? Who Stays Put? Where�s Home?

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST

As a nation, the United States is often portrayed as restless and rootless. Census data, though, indicate that Americans are settling down. Only 13% of Americans changed residences between 2006 and 2007, the smallest share since the government began tracking this trend in the late 1940s.

Revisiting the Mommy Wars

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST

Who makes better candidates -- moms or dads? And more broadly, what impact do both the gender and parenting status of candidates have on their chances to win an election? An experimental survey by the Pew Research Center suggests that the answer depends, in no small part, on whether you are a Republican or a Democrat.

America's Four Middle Classes

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

The Top of the Class, the Satisfied Middle, the Anxious Middle and the Struggling Middle � what unites and divides the majority of Americans who call themselves �middle class.�

Inside the Middle Class: Bad Times Hit the Good Life

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST

Americans feel stuck in their tracks. Most survey respondents say that in the past five years, they either haven’t moved forward in life (25%) or have fallen backward (31%) -- the most downbeat assessment in nearly half a century of polling by the Pew Research Center and the Gallup organization. But at the same time, two-thirds say they have a higher standard of living than their parents had.