Murray
shows clearly the growing cultural divide between white middle-to-upper
class communities and white working-class communities. In 1960, the two
communities, despite differences in income and educational attainment,
were statistically-similar when it came to marriage, out-of-wedlock
births, and religion. Around 1970, the gap widened, and by 2010 it was
better described as a “chasm.”
Whereas
83% of those in upper-class communities are married, only 48% of those in working-class communities are married.
While 6% of
births among upper-class communities are to unmarried mothers, 44% of those in working communities are.
And most surprisingly of
all, middle-to-upper-middle class Americans are more likely to attend
religious services on a regular basis than working-class Americans.
Source: Breakpoint