Marriage Culture in the United States

1252 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Traditional marriage in our society

Marriage Culture in the United States

The culture that exists in America is one that is constantly changing to suit the times and the many different types of people that reside in the country. One aspect of American culture that has changed profoundly is the institution of marriage. Marriage began as the undisputed lifestyle for couples willing to make the ultimate commitment to one another. However in less than a century, pointless and destructive alternatives such as premarital cohabitation, have developed to replace marriage.

Heterosexual cohabitation is essentially one man and one woman, living together who are in a committed relationship. According to recent census data, an estimated four million unmarried heterosexual couples are living together in the United States; a number which has doubled since the 1980's.(Warner1/3) In fact, cohabitation was illegal in all fifty states prior to 1970.(Popenoe "Should") In the year 1965, only ten percent of newlywed couples had lived together before marriage; presently the statistic has risen to fifty percent.(Tolson) The reasons for the new found acceptance of cohabitation are obvious. The sexual revolution, which began in the sixties, played a major role in changing the attitudes towards premarital sex. The media has taken advantage of this revolution and has been a prominent cause in the spread of acceptance towards sexual openness. Presently, it is not unusual for young adults to be sexually active with more than one partner before their first marriage.

This societal acceptance has made it easier for couples to live together without being married. Many of these men and women decide to live together because they consider the cohabitation a "trial marriage." They fe...

... middle of paper ...

...d families. Dr. Laura Schlessinger, who embodies all of these characteristics, constantly advises Americans who seek her advice on her radio and television show, to stay clear of the "Shacking Up" trend that has swept across the country because of its damaging effects on children and family values. Some who are very religious believe that the sanctity of marriage becomes undermined once cohabitation takes place especially since premarital sex is involved. Moreover, personal values become diminished when an adult makes the irresponsible decision to cohabit when so many negative consequences follow. It is morally incorrect to place oneself, a loved one or one's children in a situation that poses the possibility of damaging all relationships involved as well as the personal feelings, moral values, ideas and potentials of each; especially those of the children.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of The Downside Of Cohabiting Before Marriage

    1024 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the most common uncertainties couples go through nowadays is making the decision of moving in with their significant other before marriage. In spite of the fact that, most religions disapprove this kind of act, couples believe that this will help their relationship lead into the direction of marriage. This is not always true. A woman named Meg Gay writes an excellent article in The New York Times called, “The Downside of Cohabiting Before Marriage.” Her point is straight to it because her opinion is stated in the title of her article. Meg Gay is a clinical psychologist at the University of Virginia, who confesses about one of her own clients stories about cohabiting and a failed marriage because of it. Her intended audience seems to be for people who may be in a relationship, or couples who are thinking about cohabitating before getting married with their partner. She definitely makes an impression on her readers to second guess themselves about the idea of cohabiting with their partners so that they will have a successful marriage, not just a temporary partner.

    Read More

  • Same Sex Domestic Violence Epidemic by Maya Shwadyer

    1650 Words  | 4 Pages

    DeVault, C., Cohen, T., & Strong, B. (2011). The marriage and family experience: Intimate relationships in a changing society. (11th ed., pgs. 400-426). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth cengage learning.

    Read More

  • American Marriage In Transition Analysis

    1952 Words  | 4 Pages

    Dating back to the early 20th century, women’s roles in the United States were very limited. In regards to family life, women were expected to cook, clean, and take care of their homes. Men, on the other hand, were in charge of working and providing for the family. Together, these designated roles helped men and women build off of each other to ultimately keep their families in check. As the years progressed, society began to make a greater push to increase women’s rights. As women started receiving greater equality and freedom, their roles began to shift. More women had to opportunity to leave the house and join the workforce. The norm for a married couple slowly began to change as men were no longer expected to individually provide for their

    Read More

  • Cohabitation and its Effect on Marital Stability in the US

    1723 Words  | 4 Pages

    Unmarried heterosexual cohabitation has increased sharply in the recent years in the United States. It has in fact become so prevalent that the majority of marriages and remarriages now begin as cohabiting relationships, and most young men and women cohabit at some point in their lives. It has become quite clear that understanding and incorporating cohabitation into sociological analyses and thinking, is crucial for evaluating family patterns, people’s lifestyles, children’s wellbeing and social changes more broadly. This essay presents some common explanation for cohabitation’s dramatic rise and identifies some analytic questions as to how cohabitation is increasingly a major barrier in the marital stability in the United States.

    Read More

  • Marriage In Jane Lewis's View Of Marriage

    759 Words  | 2 Pages

    Cohabitants with children might avoid marriage because they are afraid of hurting the children; they want to diminish the prospect of getting hurt. Lewis believes that the decline in the male breadwinner model, and the increase in women’s employment, together with the change in family law are what cause the temporary coupledom. Dench and Lewis hold the same sentiments in this case. Both Dench and Lewis believe that women’s participation in the economy, them wanting more independence (individualism), and the decline of the male breadwinner model are the main causes of marriages that do not last. Having said all that, as mentioned before, family is still central to most people (Scott 1997). Beck & Beck-Gernsheim have stated, “when discussing the future of “the” family, people often start out from false premises. They compare the familiar pattern father-mother-child with a vague notion of “no family,” or assume that another kind of family is replacing the nuclear one. It is much more likely … that instead of one kind replacing the other there will be a huge variety of ways of living together or apart, which will continue to exist, side by side.” Lewis holds the same view that of having democratic intimate relationships, and not just a conventional version of

    Read More

  • Arranged Marriages In The United States

    1000 Words  | 2 Pages

    Arranged marriages are typically not practiced in the United States, however, they are still a part of other cultures. While arranged marriages are often seen as a barbaric or outdated practice, they can still be successful. It may not seem important to study arranged marriages since they are not widely practiced in modern America or other western cultures but some benefits of arranged marriages found could be used to lessen the negative image western civilizations have about cultures that continue the practice of arranged marriages. There are definitely drawbacks in the practice of arranged marriage but there are also benefits that are often overlooked.

    Read More

  • Monogamy and the American Culture

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ly has happen to monogamy in America? Is it dead, dying, or alive and well? Based on the facts of the time, overall, monogamy is dying in the American society. As best stated by Rosie Wilby “monogamy is not dead, but it's on a life-support machine” (Wilby). Non-monogamous practices are more present in today society than ever before in American history. The rise of such practices is for a variety of reasons such as, but not limited to the, change in the way the media and how society views this topic. It is however, time to get back to the core values of monogamy in America. We need to revert back to the ways of the past. A past where individual had only one partner at one time. For the greater good of society we need to get back to living as couples and raising our children together as if we were birds. Non-monogamous practices have no place in my views of America.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Marital Decline And Marital Resilience Perspective

    1055 Words  | 3 Pages

    Marriage is the legal or formally recognized union of a man and a woman, or two people or the same sex as partners in a relationship. Marriage rates in the United States have changed drastically since the last 90’s and early 2000 years (Cherlin 2004). Marital decline perspective and marital resilience perspective are the two primary perspectives and which we believe are the results from the decline. The marital decline perspective is the view that the American culture has become increasingly individualistic and preoccupied with personal happiness (Amato, 2004). The change in attitudes has changed the meaning of marriage as a whole, from a formal institution

    Read More

  • The High Divorce Rate in the United States

    1036 Words  | 3 Pages

    Marriage is a commitment that seems to be getting harder to keep. The social standards placed on an individual by society and influenced by the media inevitably lead some to consider divorce as a “quick-fix” option. “Have it your way” has become a motto in the United States. It has become a country without any consideration of the psychological effects of marriage and divorce. The overwhelmingly high divorce rate is caused by a lack of moral beliefs and marital expectations.

    Read More

  • Marriage In The United States: A Cultural Analysis

    410 Words  | 1 Pages

    I think the traditions that still exist involving marriage in this country, among heterosexual couples, impacts American culture but stems from ideas that are not generally accepted by Americans today. For example, women were legally unable to keep their last names after marriage. Men and women were seen as "one person" under the law after marriage (Erdmann, 2015). The identity of the man was used after marriage because it was the man who could vote and maintain properties. Women, through marriage, lost their identity and became known as the "wife of…" (their husband) (Erdmann, 2015). This is not surprising. Women did not have the right and freedom that we have now. Women use to be treated more like property than individuals. It

    Read More

  • Should Cohabitation Be Viewed Around The World?

    860 Words  | 2 Pages

    All around the world, people have differing opinions on everything, whether its politics, economics, religion, or education. The same is true with the concept of cohabitation. In some cultures it is normal, or even expected. In other cultures it is viewed in a much different way. Researching cohabitation has allowed me to not only get a glimpse of what cohabitation is like around the world but it has also answered some questions that I previously had.

    Read More

  • Living Together Before Marriage In The United States

    646 Words  | 2 Pages

    Living with your partner before marriage is a huge topic that people tend to worry about, because there not sure if its right or not. Some people’s beliefs on cohabiting before marriage is based off on how they grew up and what is expected out of them from their family. Some adults may argue that living with their partner you truly get to know your partner where others may argue that living together before marriage is wrong and they would just become another divorced statics.  Living together before marriage in North America has become more popular, cohabiting has increased by nearly nine hundred percent over 50 years..  Although some people look down on cohabiting living together before marriage cohabiting can help couples to later in life

    Read More

  • Friends with Benefits Relationships

    1785 Words  | 4 Pages

    The United States has experienced constant heterosexual change in acceptable social behaviors that evoke sexual relations. These changes expanding from the past half-century, which includes drastic shifts in premarital attitudes and behaviors. Shift changes in heterosexual courtship are seen from 1950’s and early 1960’s, where the standard for sexual interactions was abstinence, and intercourse was only acceptable in marriage (Perlman & Sprecher, in press), to the 1970’s. Whereas, in the 1970’s there’s a witnessed shift to a more lenient social standard, ”permissiveness with affection,” where engaging in sexual behavior was acceptable as long as the partners were fully committed to each other (Perlman & Sprecher, in press; Sprecher 1989). Sexual standards within the 21st century first decade are p...

    Read More

  • The Benefits Of Arranged Marriage

    1065 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the past, cohabitation was mainly seen among the working class but it has spread to include a wide range of people. Some people take part in cohabitation because it is economically beneficial for the partners. Some people take part in cohabitation as a prelude into marriage. Some people take part in cohabitation because they like the idea more than they like the idea of a legal marriage. (McDaniel & Tepperman, 2011) Cohabitation is also referred to as common-law union; it has many of the same legal implications as a marriage. Someone would be considered common-law after two years. Cohabitation is considered a less stable form of union compared to legal marriage. There are fewer advantages to cohabitation than marriage, such as; less responsibility to the other person especially during a crisis, there are less involvement with extended family and also, domestic violence rates are higher. But, many people prefer this form of union over legal marriage. The rates of people who are in a common-law marriage have increased dramatically between 2001 and 2006, raising a whole 18.9 percent. (McDaniel & Tepperman,

    Read More

  • Love Marriage Essay Introduction

    1824 Words  | 4 Pages

    Marriage normally is recognized with a ceremony, which has been going on for years in every society known as the wedding. Overtime, Unites States has adopted the pattern of marriage from the northwestern Europe. However, the whole concept of marriage has taken several different forms and has changed over the years. This is because of the some major difference back in the days versus now concerning marriage. In United States, during the early 1900’s most marriages were quite practical which involved family alliances and property. Where as, in the early twentieth century marriages were a part of the sexual revolution where premarital intercourse was common which assured individuals personal gratification (“History of Marriage”,

    Read More

More about Marriage Culture in the United States

Open Document