CultureWatch

Bill Muehlenberg's commentary on issues of the day...

Children Need Parents, Not Bureaucrats

May 1, 2003

The Federal Labor spokeswoman on children and youth, Nicola Roxon, has called for the establishment of a children’s rights body. In her Herald Sun article (May 26) she mentions a Bill she has introduced into Parliament calling for the establishment

A review of The Price of Motherhood. By Ann Crittenden.

Apr 15, 2003

Metropolitan Books, 2001.

Motherhood is the most under-valued job in the Western world today, argues economics journalist Ann Crittenden. While everyone may give lip service to the values of motherhood, the truth is, it is an unappreciated and un-rewarded job.

Real Help for Mothers

Apr 8, 2003

Very early this year the Federal Government announced a proposal to spend $39 million on job training skills for stay-at-home parents – mostly middle-aged mothers – to help them make the needed adjustments to get back into the workforce. The

The Crisis in Motherhood

Apr 8, 2003

Mothers may be nearing extinction. Not only is motherhood ridiculed in popular culture, and often ignored by our politicians, but mothers themselves are becoming more and more rare. Consider some recent Australian figures.

In 2001 the crude marriage rate of

A review of The Marriage Problem: How our Culture has Weakened Families. By James Q. Wilson.

Apr 5, 2003

Harper Collins, 2002.

Marriage is a problem, argues Wilson. That is, it is in a problematic state. Marriage is good for societies, for individuals, and especially for children. But the Western world is quickly moving away from marriage. As a

Questionable Legal Advice for Young People

Feb 21, 2003

A new taxpayer-funded booklet put out by the Victorian Government for young people has attracted widespread criticism. The 62-page booklet, entitled Am I Old Enough?, is meant to be a guidebook on the law for Victorian young people. Over 225,000

The Family: Worth Standing Up For

Jan 15, 2003

The family is the first and most important institution created by God. It precedes the state and all other divinely ordained institutions. Because of its central importance in the divine scheme, it is no wonder that it should be under

Time For a Rethink on the AIFS

Dec 4, 2002

The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS), which was established as part of the Family Law Act 1975, began operations in 1980. It was meant, according to its original charter, to “promote marital and family stability,” among other things. Indeed,

A review of Marriage: Just a Piece of Paper? Edited by Katherine Anderson, et. al.

Oct 18, 2002

Eerdmans, 2002.

On Valentines Day 2002 the PBS in America featured a one-hour documentary examining the status of marriage and family. This is the companion volume to that film, featuring leading marriage and family experts along with the stories, testimonials

The Paid Maternity Leave Debate

Aug 29, 2002

Should we institute a scheme of paid maternity leave? I am going to argue neither for the affirmative, nor for the negative. Instead, I will seek to argue for a third way. The third way I propose is fairly straight-forward:

A review of Baby Hunger: The New Battle for Motherhood. By Sylvia Ann Hewlett.

Jul 24, 2002

Atlantic Books, 2002.

Throughout much of the Western world, women are putting marriage and family on hold, while seeking to establish a career. A mate and children are still desirable goals for most women, but they are being pushed to

Politically Correct Children

Jul 19, 2002

The forces of PC are ever at work, ensuring that all of us – young and old – keep on the straight and narrow of right thinking and right practice. An interesting illustration of this took place recently when it

A review of Marriage, Health and the Professions. Edited by John Wall, et. al.

Jun 28, 2002

Eerdmans, 2002.

What are the social, legal, medical and psychological implications of the fact that marriage is good for you? This collection of essays seeks to answer that question.

The social sciences have make it quite clear that marriage confers

Fatherlessness and the Two-Parent Family

Jun 3, 2002

Fatherlessness is a growing problem in the Western world. Whether caused by divorce and broken families, or by deliberate single parenting, more and more children grow up in Australia without fathers. Concerned groups have argued that a mother and father

A review of Faith of the Fatherless. By Paul Vitz.

Mar 16, 2002

Spence 2000.

Around 10 years ago Paul Johnson wrote an interesting book entitled Intellectuals. In it he looked at the personal lives of some famous Western thinkers, such as Rosseau and Marx. He noted that many of these

A review of The Broken Hearth. By William Bennett.

Feb 15, 2002

Doubleday, 2001.

This new book by the former Education Secretary under President Reagan is an examination of how the family is unraveling in Western society. Although the book deals specifically with the American situation, its relevance for countries like Australia

The Betrayal of a Generation

Feb 2, 2002

An extremely revealing and disturbing television documentary was aired on America’s Public Broadcasting System in February of last year. Entitled The Merchants of Cool, the show examined the way big business and the advertising industry have targeted our young

A review of The Book of Marriage. Edited by Dane Mack and David Blankenhorn.

Jan 11, 2002

Eerdmans, 2001.

When one considers that the institutions of marriage and family were the first ordained by God, preceding even the State or the Church, one can see the great importance placed on them. And one can also understand why

Real Help for Mothers

Jan 11, 2002

Very early this year the Federal Government announced a proposal to spend $39 million on job training skills for stay-at home parents – mostly middle-aged mothers – to help them make the needed adjustments to get back into the workforce.

A review of Work-Lifestyle Choices in the 21st Century. By Catherine Hakim.

Aug 9, 2001

Oxford University Press, 2000.

There are many important issues that arise when discussion about women in the workplace takes place. Many questions come to mind, such as: Why do women enter the paid workforce? Are careers and parenting compatible? How

About CultureWatch

We live in an age where we see evidence of cultural decline, the erosion of values, the decline of civility, the denial of truth and the elevation of unreason. Many people are asking, “Where is our culture heading?” This website is devoted to exploring the major cultural, social and political issues of the day. It offers reflection and commentary drawing upon the wealth of wisdom found in the Judeo-Christian tradition. It offers reflective and incisive commentary on a wide range of issues, helping to sort through the maze of competing opinions, worldviews, ideologies and value systems. It will discuss critically and soberly where our culture is heading. Happy reading!

Bill Muehlenberg

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If you are happy to abide by these rules, then by all means, send in your comments. Happy writing!

CultureWatch

Bill Muehlenberg's commentary on issues of the day...

Children Need Parents, Not Bureaucrats

A review of The Price of Motherhood. By Ann Crittenden.

Real Help for Mothers

The Crisis in Motherhood

A review of The Marriage Problem: How our Culture has Weakened Families. By James Q. Wilson.

Questionable Legal Advice for Young People

The Family: Worth Standing Up For

Time For a Rethink on the AIFS

A review of Marriage: Just a Piece of Paper? Edited by Katherine Anderson, et. al.

The Paid Maternity Leave Debate

A review of Baby Hunger: The New Battle for Motherhood. By Sylvia Ann Hewlett.

Politically Correct Children

A review of Marriage, Health and the Professions. Edited by John Wall, et. al.

Fatherlessness and the Two-Parent Family

A review of Faith of the Fatherless. By Paul Vitz.

A review of The Broken Hearth. By William Bennett.

A review of The Book of Marriage. Edited by Dane Mack and David Blankenhorn.

Real Help for Mothers

A review of Work-Lifestyle Choices in the 21st Century. By Catherine Hakim.

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