DeParle’s article reflection

DeParle’s article, Two Classes, Divided by ‘I do’, talks about the importance of marriage in a family setting. It starts off my saying that family structure deepens class divides. I agree with this statement because when I look at Rex’s family, I see that other families on Little Hobart Street consider his family to be different than them due to the way his family functions. They judge Rex’s family from the beginning because they see that their family unit works differently than how the other families work. The article also says that family structure broadens income gaps, which poses barriers to upwards mobility. I also see this in the Walls family because of how Rex and Rosemary behave themselves. If they were more responsible parents; they would make the effort to get a job and support their kids. That way they wouldn’t have to starve. The article states, “The people with more education tend to have stable family structures with committed and involved fathers” (2). This makes me think of Rex’s kids and how they are affected by his lack of involvement. It also raises the question of their education and whether or not they are considered to have a good education that could help them in the future to have a stable family structure of their own. There is also the issue of there being less “marriageable men” out there, which lessens the chances of having a stable family. The last issue I would like to point out is that the article mentions that less educated women are more likely to have children with more than one man. This got me thinking of Jeannette’s future. To some, she might have a valid education, to others it might not be sufficient or profound enough. Therefore, will Jeannette end up having children with more than one man as a result of her childhood?