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1. e best answer, c next best. a probably more true than b, but raises an unresovable gender problem. d is false.

1. The primary economic responsibility for raising children in 1998 falls on:

   1. The woman.
   2. The man.
   3. Anybody who will take it.
   4. The community.
   5. Individuals.

1. The woman is not specific enough. The economic burden of caring for the child may well fall on a woman different from the mother. Who then is "the" woman. Research has shown that women fared worse economically from relaxed divorce rules, but costs have not been as well and objectively measured as one would wish. The solution has been to look only at the mother and father with the wicked little assumption that it is their child and that they must pay. That reaction could be qualitatively wrong. Children are "our" future. That suggests another kind of measurement.

   Notice that in the "the woman" and "the man" answers, male and female are pitted against each other economically. Yet we still say "Be fruitful and multiply."

2. "The man" has the same problems as "the woman" - too personalized, too forced into adversarial positions between male and female.

3. "Anyone who will take it" is a good response; but it's cynical in the extreme. In reality, that is often what happens. But again, this answer looks only to individuals without emphasizing that point as well as answer e. The phrase is pejorative, suggesting none of the joy of "Be fruitful and multiply."

4. d is false. The community does not assume responsibility for the economic well-being of the child as long is there is anyone else to do so and usually until catastrophe strikes. The wicked little unstated assumption here is that the child is private responsibility. Even the support of public education has been eroded.

5. e is the best answer. As reflected in a, b, and c, individuals are held economically responsible. That is a value choice. That means that access to the benefits of early childhood health and education is not equal, and to the extent that affects development, access to future achievement is not equally available to all children. A value choice.

   But when individuals have private responsibilities, then they can bicker amongst themselves for the distribution of those responsibilities. In this case, men and women are far more likely to bicker to the extent that society makes alternatives to those responsibilities available to them on the basis of gender, or love, or commitment, or whatever.

   Jeanne.

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