Its initial findings are sobering. In Sweden, faith in God is nearly nonexistent. Cohabitation is expected. And since the government meets all personal needs, the family is devalued. It is the epitome of a welfare state.
Studies reveal that as the welfare state advances, the family declines.
Dr. David Popenoe, director of the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University , notes what American social-welfare expert Neil Gilbert calls the helping hand dilemma. In the welfare state, through excessive taxation to support programs, government penalizes families that help themselves, while rewarding families that fail to care for themselves. While equality is an enticing word, Sweden s gender equality its strongest social movement has destroyed interdependence between men and women. The institutions of marriage and family have deteriorated as government programs and policies such as the elimination of joint tax returns encourage women to work more, thus stripping men of their responsibility for their families. Cash assistance for the birth of children goes to women only rather than families, discouraging fathers from being actively involved.