New American Divide

You might not have seen it, but the Wall Street Journal had a fantastic article back on January 21.  "The New American Divide," by Charles Murray points out the growing difference between the large segments of the population.  It's not only money that divides us, but those are in lower economic brackets are participating in standard social institutions in far fewer numbers that their more monied neighbors.  The middle class and wealthy are more likely to be married and engaged in religious organizations than the poorer class.  The article also has a Philly angle.  Fishtown is the area Murray selected to represent the unmarried and unchurched.   Other factors Murray looks at are the percentage of adult men working less than 40 hours a week and the correlation between the amount of education a woman has in relation to whether she is married when she has children.  It's interesting, a little alarming, but interesting.