The New York Times piece John Leo
referenced earlier cites a startling statistic: while almost 40% of births to
college-educated women are out-of-wedlock, the figure for women who haven’t graduated
college is over 90%. Another figure from same study indicates that though a
third of women who hold only a high school diploma have had children with more
than one man, none of the college-educated women studied had.
These contrasts
are certainly stark; however, we should be wary of the argument that college
necessarily leads to the stable middle-class existence the piece describes.
College is but one of the many factors that support social mobility: individual
initiative, committed relationships, and familial support are equally if not
more important. As the article implies but never explicitly states, obtaining a
college degree often means you possess the qualities and resources for
necessary advancement; it does not guarantee said advancement.
Ultimately, the lasting bonds
of family and community matter more. Those championing the
cause of the middle class should take note.
