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TIME: Almanac 1993
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TIME Almanac 1993.iso
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1992-08-28
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NATION, Page 39American NotesPOPULATIONHold the Wedding Bells
An old saw says that "first comes love, then comes marriage,
then comes pushing a baby carriage," but that idea appears to be
out of style. According to a new Census Bureau report, fewer and
fewer single women who become pregnant with their first child
get married before the baby is born.
Analysts say the increase in out-of-wedlock births results
in part from greater social acceptance of single motherhood.
But other studies cite more dismaying factors: a shortage of
men who earn enough to support a family and the high divorce
rate. Many unwed mothers, says the Census Bureau, have come to
believe that "they may be better off in the long run by relying
more on the support of their parents and relatives . . . than
by entering a potentially unstable marriage." But there is
another problem: almost half of female-headed households live
in poverty, compared with 8% of two-parent families.