Is Marriage Important?

Marriage is a major social institution. Due to complex shifts, the conventional marriage model has undergone several changes to fit into today's world. Marriage has long been regarded as a contentious topic due to people's differing opinions on it. While studies have not disclosed the cause of the decline, opposite-sex marriage rates have decreased. Feminism, according to some scholars, is to blame for the changes that have arisen within the organization. They argue that feminist philosophies lead women to believe that marriage is enslavement in which they are unable to achieve their personal and professional goals. Others contend that legalizing gay marriage violates the establishment and leads to the declining rates of opposite-sex marriage. Besides, other researchers believe that the decline of civic society and breakdown of social constructs related to marriage have caused the reduction in rates of heterosexual marriage. There are many controversies on the marriage institution, and many people have adopted diverse perspectives on the same. The different studies seeking to explain the cause of the decrease of opposite-sex marriages have not provided significant evidence to support their claims. The paper seeks to provide different points of view adopted by various studies on the topic of discussion. Each source of information is analyzed to establish the reliability of the provided information. The study provides its perspective of the marriage institution and tries to give the factors leading to the increasing retreat from the union.



Does Marriage Matter?

The practicality of the marriage institution in today's society has been questioned due to the change in social constructs holding them together. Until recently, the heterosexual partnership was the only recognized form of marriage while other types of the institution were unacceptable. Homosexual marriage was considered an abomination while cohabiting was condemned by the society. Today, the homosexual marriage has been legalized in many countries around the globe while cohabiting and other forms of sexual encounters are not heavily criticized. The proponents of heterosexual marriage argue that the legal recognition of same-sex marriage will lead to a decline in the number of couples forming straight marriages. From a philosophical point of view, the marriage institution is threatened by factors such as divorce and separation but not legal recognition of same-sex marriage. However, it has been difficult to prove the said effect of same-sex marriage (Coleman & Ganong, 2003). Some researchers consider such claims as hypotheses that are not supported by statistical proof. Those who argue that the effect is significant have tried to provide evidence to support their claims. Marriage is a controversial issue with different factors to consider given the dynamic change that has taken place in the society.

The major problem affecting marriages could be changed in culture among different communities, declining power of civic institution, and financial challenges. The traditional societies have been outpaced by the modern one and this means the social constructs have changed too. The way issues are handled in the society has changed hence family issues are no longer a communal issue. Each family gets to decide what is best for them and there is little involvement of the community in family matters. Family disputes are solved within the family and interference from other community members is very minimal. Culture has changed and so have the institutions such as marriage, the principles of which are based on culture. However, there is no common culture anymore for different societies, but each has its own principles. The roles of men and women in marriage have changed as women are considered equal to men. Wilcox, Wolfinger, and Stokes (2015) state that a change in the cultural factors has contributed to a decline in the number of marriages. The authors state that due to decline in the cultural framework governing marriage, the institution may not provide a stable platform for childbearing. Additionally, the authors asserting the decline in rates of marriage due to economic reasons. Today's society allows women to earn their income through employment or trade hence they are able to support themselves without assistance from men. If a woman can sustain herself then there are high chances she will not opt for marriage but will stay a single mother and raise her children. Empowerment of women has led them to abandon their traditional roles in marriage. Also, some women value their careers more than any other aspect of their life. Wilcox and colleagues assert that the rise of career-oriented women has contributed to a substantial decline in the rates of marriage. Their study shows that cultural factors such as poor parenting and single parenthood have affected the attitudes of adolescents towards marriage. The number of unmarried US young women bearing children has declined by 20 percent (Wilcox, Wolfinger, & Stokes, 2015).

A study conducted by Moira Weigel show that women have changed their perspective on marriage. With the rise in feminism, single women have focused on their personal lives and careers rather than on a heterosexual relationship. The claims by Weigel might be a possible explanation of the declining rates of marriage in the society. Adopting the feminist ideologies, women are no longer interested in marriage, but their happiness comes first. Most feminists consider marriage as a trap where the potential of an individual is restrained with no hope of redeeming it. They believe that once they get into marriage, they will not have the freedom on social, economic, and political aspects. These women consider marriage as a threat to their democracy. According to Weigel, feminism seems to be the road to independence for most women and with it, they will be able to control their destiny (Weigel, 2016). The author states that women who do not get into marriage are more ambitious than ever and have a greater potential of developing. The unmarried are able to pursue their careers and personal goals without hindrances from their husbands. Weigel implies that there is no room for improvement in marriage and men partners do no support their female partners. The claim made by Weigel is a bit awful since a majority of men love their wives and often support them in their endeavors. However, there are few isolated cases where men do not support their wives. And even if that is the case, there may be other factors leading to the situation such as financial constraints. The study by Weigel is limited since it comes into a general conclusion that feminism is the factor affecting the rate of marriage. The study did not consider other factors that may lead to the same situation such as financial difficulties, and the absence of a good plan to enlist the support of men to their female partners.

Marcus Dillender takes a different perspective and analyzes the effect same-sex marriage on straight marriage. He evaluates how legal recognition of same-sex marriage has affected opposite-sex marriage. According to him, there are conservative groups that blame the worthlessness of straight marriage to a homosexual union. In his research, he uses difference-in-differences strategy to determine the change in marriage rates after legal recognition of same-sex marriage. Dillender does not find any correlation between declining rates of marriage and the legal recognition of the same-sex union. He states that: "… I find no evidence that national marriage rates were affected in Massachusetts when same-sex couples were allowed to marry." (Dillender, 2014). However, he claims that the availability of domestic partnerships to same-sex couples decreases the rate of opposite-sex marriage. Dillender's study shows that marriage is important and it cannot be affected by legal recognition of homosexual marriages. However, the possibility of heterosexual partner forming a relationship with a homosexual partner might affect the rate of heterosexual marriages.

Edwards et al. (2003) have adopted the perspective that personal reasons and fate is the reason behind the declining rates of heterosexual marriages. The authors claim that forming relationships that leads to marriage is sometimes difficult. When a person does not have the expected behavior, they can be rejected by potential partners. For instance, a woman may turn away men who approach her for a relationship or marriage and by doing so she chases away potential husbands. The continued manifestation of unruly and uncooperative behavior may depict a woman as unsuitable for marriage. When time elapses and their age advances, it becomes difficult for the women to find husbands and they may thus fail to marry. The aspect of proper timing plays a big role in marrying and getting married. Wrong timing may cause a person to lack a marriage partner. The wrong timing may be caused by the behavior adopted by the person or having wrong objectives in life. Other people search for the perfect marriage partner to settle down with. It is difficult to meet the right person and sometimes it is a matter of fate. Edwards and colleagues state that “some feel women are on an impossible search for the perfect man,” (Edwards et al., 2003). By impossible, Edwards and colleagues (2003) mean that it is extremely difficult to find a perfect person. People have challenges and marriage is not about perfect people.

In my point of view, legal recognition of same-sex marriage does not interfere with opposite-sex marriage. Each marriage union has goals different from those of another hence it may not be possible for one to affect the other. The marriage institution is greatly affected by culture and its social construct. The social constructs such as the place of marriage in the traditional society have significantly changed. The role of marriage partners has taken a shift due to the recognition of equal rights for both men and women. The patriarchal forms of society are becoming outdated and are being replaced by society norms where men and women have an equal stake in marriage. Some people consider marriage as outdated given the changes that have taken place in the societies but others disagree with such point of view.



References

Coleman, M., & Ganong, L. H. (2003). Points & Counterpoints: Controversial Relationship and Family Issues in the 21st Century: An Anthology. Roxbury Publishing Company.

Dillender, M. (2014). The Death of Marriage? The Effects of New Forms of Legal Recognition on Marriage Rates in the United States. Demography, 51(2), 563-585. Doi: 10.1007/s13524-013-0277-2.

Edwards, T. M., Drummond, T., Kauhnan, E., Mofiet, A., Savaiano, J., & Stager, M. (2003). 6a Flying Solo. In M. Coleman & L. Ganong (Authors), Points & Counterpoints Controversial Relationship and Family Issues in the 21st Century (pp. 58-63). Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury Publishing Company.

Weigel, M. (2016). Not All the Single Ladies. Dissent (00123846), 63(4), 7-12.

Wilcox, W. B., Wolinger, N. H., & Stokes, C. E. (2015). One Nation, Divided: Culture, Civic Institutions, and the Marriage Divide. Future of Children, 25(2), 111-127.