Studies also show that single men, on average, are less productive in the workplace than married men and fathers. They earn less, even with similar skills and education. In many ways, men become civilized in families. Indeed, social science research shows that men need women and families to be emotionally and physically healthy. Sociologists tell us that women and children connect men to a broader support network of family and friends.
Families also give men purpose and direction.
When married, men become more responsible in the workplace. They work harder, according to economists. But family-less fathers are much less likely than fatherless families to be seen as a social problem. Today's family values debate rightly centers on the high price paid by innocent women and children for the breakdown of the family. The unhappy effects of disrupted family life on children now seem obvious after years of collective denial.