Skip to main content
Intellect

Wheatley Roundtable on Family Provides Scientific Support for the Traditional Family

Date: Thursday and Friday, March 19-20

Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Location: Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center, BYU

Cost: Free, open to the public

Full Schedule: wheatley.byu.edu

Details: Though the social and political definition of the family has been debated in recent years, research in the social sciences as well as theory and philosophy continues to demonstrate the necessity of the traditional, conjugal family unit. Six scholars and researchers, who study the family, will show evidence in support of the family's role in personal development and community stability at the Wheatley Roundtable on Family at BYU this week.

The BYU Wheatley Institution is hosting this two-day conference to give the community an opportunity to hear from prominent scholars who study the role and importance of the family in modern society. 

The topics they will address range from the demographic decline of the family, the ethics of assisted reproductive technologies, marital intimacy and marital education and the influence of legislation on the family unit. The speakers come from a variety of academic backgrounds:

  • Brad Wilcox, National Marriage Project, "Marriage Makes the Man: How Marriage Makes Men Work Harder, Smarter, and More Successfully"
  • Jason Carroll, BYU Professor of Family Life and Fellow at the Wheatley Institution, "Ready or Not? The Rise of Paradoxical Preparation for Marriage"
  • Scott Stanley, Center for Marital and Family Studies, "Sliding vs. Deciding Cohabitation, Relationship Development, and Commitment"
  • Samuel Sturgeon, demographer, "Is the Family Really at Risk?: Exampining Demographic Trends in Family Decline"
  • Melissa Moschella, philosophy department at the Catholic University of America, "What's Wrong with Reproductive Technologies?"
  • J. Budziszewski, University of Texas, "The Natural Laws of Sex"

 

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

Impossible Burgers at a summer BBQ? Impossible! Why plant-based alternatives are still just beyond reach for most people

August 14, 2025
Plant-Based Alternatives (PBAs) — such as the Impossible Burger — are becoming more common, and those who try them say they are actually quite good. And while companies are pouring billions into making PBAs taste just like their meat counterparts, they still aren’t catching on. So what’s the hold-up?
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Photographic memory: BYU boasts nation's top student photographer for third year in a row

August 05, 2025
One of BYU’s very own is the best student photographer in all the land. Information systems student Matthew Norton was just named the Student Photographer of the Year by the University Photographer’s Association of America.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Forum: Faith and flourishing in your life and work

July 29, 2025
Paul Lambert, the religion initiative director at the Wheatley Institute, shared in a BYU forum address how faith in Jesus Christ is more than just a personal foundation. It’s also a powerful force for good in the world around us.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=