What Is the Success Sequence and Does It Live Up to Its Hype?
The “success sequence” sounds good. Here’s why it’s mostly just propaganda.
Is there a formula for staying out of poverty? Some have suggested that the “success sequence” is the answer, and politicians and pundits have sometimes repeated that claim. The promise of the success sequence is that if young adults follow these three steps, in this order, they will greatly reduce their chances of ending up impoverished:
- Graduate from high school
- Get a full-time job
- Get married — before having kids
Some of the proponents of the plan want a full-court press of support for the success sequence. That would include “public and private social marketing campaigns on behalf of marriage and the ‘success sequence’” as well as “a range of educational, pop cultural, business, and civic organizations” getting in on the act of advocating for the success sequence.
Economic security is important to psychological well-being. Does that mean we should be pouring money into the promotion of the success sequence, and particularly in what is posited as the pinnacle of success in the model — getting married? Is that a good investment if the goal is to reduce poverty?
