A map of out-of-wedlock birth

(written by Lawrence Krubner, however indented passages are often quotes)

I guess I knew this but it is still a surprise to see. A map of out-of-wedlock birth. See the “conservative values” of the traditional South! They have an out of wedlock birth rate on par with Sweden!

It is curious that Southern political movements tend to emphasize traditional values, yet the people of the South engage in behavior that is not in accord with the usual description of those conservative values. I personally don’t see anything wrong with out-of-wedlock birth, but I am fascinated at the gap between rhetoric and reality. Why is it that Southern political movements seem (in their rhetoric) resistant to modern trends, whereas a place like Sweden has exactly the same trend, yet is far more comfortable with it?