Project 2 - SOC001

Marriage Trends
~Alexandra Hollis~

Marriage Throughout History
Marriage is generally considered to be the starting point for the institution of family.
Through marriage, two people enter a social contract, with the purpose of having children,
becoming economically stronger, having a legit sexual relationship or simply seeking
companionship.
Marriage has not always represented what it is today; throughout the history, marriage has
served many purposes, totally independent from what might seem common knowledge.
From Antiquity to Renaissance, love was not an important factor when deciding to marry.
Factors such as wealth, career/political ambitions or lust took priority and love was
considered a factor that did not belong in a marriage.
During the 16th century, marriage evolved into an institution where too much love was
considered inappropriate.











Marriage Throughout History
As of the 18th century, considering the aspect of love when marrying started to become a
topic of interest even though money had a definite priority in the decision making. The idea
of honeymoon is born.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the attention shifts towards the couples and not the
interests of their family, towards romance, social life and, by the 1950s, towards the
ultimate reward: marriage.
With the rise of feminism and overall social turmoil, the 1970s change the focus away from
marriage towards love as the ultimate goal. Wherever love fails, there will be no marriage or
there will be a divorce.
In the 21st century, the idea of marriage is very much present and wanted by most
individuals but, with factors such as high expectations, media, career ambitions and
cohabitation, the priorities are different and the trends have changed.
Marriage and Society - Gender Roles
Considering a heterosexual marriage between a man and a woman, marriage is analyzed
from two different points of view: the wifes and the husbands. Research shows that women
are the more emotional partner in a marriage and, throughout the history, they viewed
marriage as an institution where they were expected to sacrifice for the well being of the
husband and of the children.
With the changes in society towards the end of the 20th century, marriage has become a
scene not only for accomplishing the need for love and intimacy but also for reaching high
levels of self development within and outside the marriage. As a result, both men and
women are currently (and depending on the culture) enjoying freedom of expression when it
comes to love, emotions, frustration and anger.
Nevertheless, it is still commonly accepted that women have the responsibility of setting the
right mood in the marriage so that both the wife and the husband can maintain the
appropriate level of emotional comfort and intimacy.

Marriage and Society - Gender Roles
The understanding over the years has been that wives would place themselves on second
place and allow their husbands to be the head of household but, with the constant changes in
society, women roles have become more complex. Women are recognized as major
producers contributing to the family income, key players in resolving family conflicts and
serve as major influence and as role models for the choices their children make. According
to Atlantic Media, the evolution of the number of working women in the 20th century shows
dramatic changes.

Marriage Trends in the 21st Century - Liberation Movement
One of the main factors contributing to the so called decline of marriage was the womens liberation
movement. The womens liberation movement was led by the National Organization for Women who had
a major influence in the marriage trends. With the approval of contraception, The Civil Rights Act of
1964, The Equal Rights Amendment of 1972, the legalization of abortion in 1973 and the anti-rape
protests, women made major steps towards changing the views of society. Women were no longer seen as
wives, mothers or the weaker link in a marriage; the success of the liberation movement gave women
wings to want to achieve more outside the marriage and look for alternative ways of achieving economic
satisfaction. Research from the University of Virginia shows the 1960s as the start of a decline in
marriages.






Marriage Trends in the 21st Century - Cohabitation
A look at the trends in marriage after the liberation movement shows that marriage no longer
continued to be the norm and other types of unions became popular. According to research,
at the beginning of the 1950s, only 24% of the women already in a relationship by the age
of 25 chose cohabitation. By the end of the 1960s, this percentage went up to a significant
55%.
In addition, according to the National Survey of Family Growth, cohabitation is seen as a
way of deciding if marriage is an option and if the partners will be compatible for life.
Race is another factor to be taken into consideration when looking at the marriage trends in
the 1950s and the 1960s. Research shows that the percentage of African American women
marrying has declined much faster than the percentage of white women choosing to get
married.
Education is a key factor in the decision making for cohabitation vs marriage. Whereas both
educated and uneducated individuals might choose cohabitation, the uneducated individuals
are less likely to find themselves in a stable economic situation therefore, will chose choose
cohabitation for longer periods of time or will chose not to marry at all. On the same note,
the rate of divorce for uneducated individuals who chose to marry tends to be higher.
Marriage Trends in the 21st Century - Children
As a result of cohabitation, the number of children born outside marriage has increased
significantly: in the 1990s, the percentage of children born from unmarried mothers reached
41%.
The racial breakdown shows the percentages of children born outside marriage as follows:
o African American - 73%
o White - 29%
o Latino - 53%
Based on the Child Trends research, the level of education also influences the decision of
having children while married:
college degree - 92%
some college - 62%
high school or less - 43%


Functionalist View of Marriage
According to the functionalist paradigm, marriage is the norm and the base for a healthy
family.
When two individuals chose to marry, they respect the norm by entering a legal contract that
would allow them to contribute economically, socially and emotionally to the overall well
being of society.
As part of their role, the husband and the wife will most likely chose to have children and
continue to follow the unwritten rules of society by perpetuating the species.
In a marriage, the woman will be in charge of the household and the man will be the main
provider; both men and women will assume these roles gladly as part of their duty and as
part of their contribution to a successful marriage.
Both the husband and the wife will contribute to the socialization of their children and be an
example. The children will most likely follow the footsteps of their parents by choosing to
marry themselves when the time is right
In the functionalist perspective, married life is comprised of a long list of events
characterized by consensus between the husband and the wife, all meant to contribute to the
overall social order.
Conflict View of Marriage
According to the conflict paradigm, marriage is the ground for inequalities between men and
women.
Women are expected to be mothers, wives, caregivers, housekeepers and significant
producers in the family. A woman who has a full time job will most probably continue to
take care of the house while the husbands will only assume the limited role of having a full
time job.
Other than the division of labor, the conflict arises from the overall distribution of power in
the marriage. The husband has the last word in most cases therefore, he is perceived as
superior while the spouse is perceived as inferior.
Women are oppressed and men dominate.
The conflict theory also points out the inequalities between children and parents. The parents
have control over their children and dictate their every move. This creates tension in the
family and conflict between the children who have no saying in what is good for them and
the parents who know what is best for their children.
Overall, the conflict paradigm sees marriage as a long list of conflicts over the unfair
distribution of power.

Tips for Making a Marriage Work
In a world where the trends in marriage are drastically changing, there are still members of
society who choose to follow the traditional path and get married. According to Pope
Francis, those choosing to marry must remember the following:
o Marriage is a full time job
o The husband and the wife shape/improve each other constantly through their actions
o Love is built and maintained gradually, just like building a home
o It takes two to create a marriage to last a lifetime
o Love is not enough, respect and forgiveness are major factors
o Consider your spouse a gift from God
o Nobody is perfect!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwNa7rY5oCg

Conclusion - How Do We Really Feel About Marriage?
In the American society, despite the trends pointing out towards lower numbers of
individuals who choose to marry, the overall consent is that marriage is still very important
even though it is no longer the number one goal. Research shows that people still believe
that they should marry for the right reasons.



Conclusion - How Do We Really Feel About Marriage
Marriage as a major step in life has suffered significant changes over the past 100 years.
Modern views consider marriage an unnecessary step whereas most of the American
population still views it as the most romantic moment and something to look forward to
when the time is right. After all, as the below video indicates, Americans romanticize
marriage more than any other country in the world.
Works Cited
Cohn, DVera. Love and Marriage. Pew Social Trends 13 Feb, 2013. Web. 26 Apr, 2014.

DeParle, Jason, and Tavernise, Sabrina. For Women Under 30, Most Births Occur Outside Marriage. The New York Times 17 Feb.2012: A1. Web. 26
Apr. 2014.

Flanagan, Mike. American Marriage Documentary Trailer. Online Video Clip. You Tube. You Tube 31 Aug. 2009. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.

Martel, Charles. The End of Marriage. The Spearhead 1 Jan. 2010. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.

Oregon Family Council. The Marriage in Society. Oregon Family Council 2014. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.

PT Staff. Marriage, a History. Psychology Today 1 May, 2005. Web. 26 Apr, 2014.

Raley, R. Kelly. "Recent trends and differentials in marriage and cohabitation: The United States." The ties that bind: Perspectives on
marriage and cohabitation (2000): 19-39.

Romereports. Pope Francis: List of tips to make a marriage work. Online Video Clip. You Tube. You Tube 17 Feb. 2014. Web. 22 Apr.
2014.

Sink, Nancy. Womens Liberation Movement. Novaonline Dec 2008. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/

Thompson, Derek. The Death (and Life) of Marriage in America. The Atlantic 7 Feb. 2012. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.

Thompson, Linda, and Alexis J. Walker. "Gender in families: Women and men in marriage, work, and parenthood." Journal of Marriage and the
Family (1989): 845-871.