Sociology 1201: Worksheet--"Let's Get Married" http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/marriage/

1. Why has Oklahoma moved to the forefront of the marriage movement?

2. Try to guess which as the "Bible Belt" states, and why do you suppose they lead the nation in divorce rates?

3. Why do you think the marriage movement has been more popular with Republican politicians than with Democracts?

4. What is PREP and why has Oklahoma made its part of its required training for mothers on Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)?

5. Alex Kotlowitz has made a career out of studying inner city families, beginning with his classic book, There Are No Children Here. What makes him skeptical about the marriage movement as a solution to some of the problems of inner city families?

6. How do you see the long term prospects of the following relationships?

Ashaki and Steven

David and Amber

Sociology 1201: Groups--"Let's Get Married"

Discussion Questions:

1. How does this movie fit with our text, Promises to Keep? What do you think would have to happen to really increase the rate of long-term marriage in the inner city?

2. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 is predicated in part on the belief that the government can and should do more to promote marriage as a solution to many of the problems of poor families. Did you see any signs the steps showcased in the video would really be effective? How do you suppose sociologists would assess the success of such efforts?

3. One of the common routes to dependence on TANF is divorce. One claim of the "marriage movement" is that it should be made much more difficult for couples with children to divorce. What do you think? Should the standard for getting a divorce be made more difficult among married couples with children? What do you see as the likely positive and negative consequences of such a change?