What’s the point of these studies anyway?

Last month Newsweek reported on a yet another study as to whether or not a kid is better off with a working mom or a stay-at-home mom. Basically, it concluded that if you were poor your kids would be better off if you worked. (Uh, ya think?) And, if you were well educated, your kids would be better off if you didn’t work. (Well, how would you pay your student loans then?) I don’t know even know why we conduct studies like this. For the most part, they just confirm the fact that I’m probably totally messing up my kids. They make me feel bad and question whether or not I’m a good mom. Is that the point? To make us all feel like losers? And who’s wasting money on this? Are they insinuating that the whole breakdown of the traditional family institution lies entirely on the mother’s shoulders? I’d like to hear your thoughts of what the purpose of these studies are and what you conclude from them. Do they change how you parent?