Marriage In America Essay

655 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: History essay: traditional wedding

In this paper, I will examine the journey that the majority of Americans take while courting their peers and their road to marriage, as well as how the traditional marriage is celebrated from an etic perspective. In America, it is not taboo to date (or court) many different perspective suitors while on their road to marriage. Marriage in America seems to be quite unstable in today's society, and yet more Americans get married than in any other country. (Campbell & Wright, 2010) Courting in America starts with two people attracted each other. The majority of Americans do not hold race and religion high on their list of what they are looking for in a partner, so physical attraction seems to be the initial starter. Usually, a series of dates …show more content…

They do not marry for their family, or status. This has been a gradual change throughout the history of marriage in this country. Prior to the 1800's most people in America married for some social or economic reason and their families usually decided who they were going to marry. Courtships were almost forced upon the young couples. This is a big reason that marriage in America is so unstable today and the divorce rate is so high. "When love fades, infidelity and divorce become viable options. Infidelity and divorce rates reinforce this point. Depending on how infidelity is assessed, national estimates indicate that 20-25% of

individuals participate in extramarital sex at some point throughout the course of marriage" (Campbell & Wright, 2010, pg 229) Monogamous marriages are the normal in America, but serial monogamy seems to be the trend more and more as the culture gets older. "Despite the ideal of marriage as a long-term commitment, divorce is quite common in many societies, especially before the birth of a first child. In societies such as the United States in which monogamy is the accepted form of marriage, a high rate of divorce (nearly half of marriages end in divorce) and subsequent remarriage creates a particular pattern called serial monogamy, in which individuals have more than one spouse, but at different times." (Crapo, 2013, chapter

Show More
Related

  • Monogamy and Marriage: The Battle Between Biology and the Buck

    4694 Words  | 10 Pages

    Actually monogamy had developed long before religion became interested. According to Fisher’s estimate, nearly every human society has been monogamous to some degree (69), and she claims that human beings have a biologically natural preference for mo...

    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

    Nock SL. 1995. A comparison of marriages and cohabiting relationships. J. Fam. Issues 16:53 76

    Read More

  • Marriage Culture in the United States

    1252 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Monogamy and the American Culture

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    Currently, by definition and tradition, we are living in an American society that sees itself as predominantly monogamous. However, this monogamous society has increasingly been filled with cheating, unfaithful, and overall promiscuous individual. As of today, 57% of American males and 54% of American females, admit to committing infidelity in any relationship they’ve (Glass) So what exactly happen to the ideology of monogamy in America? What has happen to the system of having only one partner at any specific time? Is monogamy really dying, or is it already six feet under in today’s society? Some may argue that America was never truly a monogamous society and thus monogamy isn’t dying but merely less represented. On the other hand, people argue that one can do as they please and if being in a non-monogamous relationship makes them happy, to each their own. My own view is that monogamy is facing a dying role in American culture. Non-monogamous practices have grown to become a visible part of today’s American society. This paper will look at why monogamy is important, the reason it’s dying and why it needs to be placed back in the spotlight.

    Read More

  • Ideal American Family Essay

    607 Words  | 2 Pages

    The ideal American family has become diminished. In the 21st century only 46% of children in the United States live in that ideal American family. Meanwhile you have 15% of children living with a parent that has been remarried at least once. It may seem like 15% is a small number, but in actuality it is 8, 76, 00 divorces a year that is occurring.

    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

  • Beliefs on Marriage and Divorce

    2007 Words  | 5 Pages

    Marriage and divorce are culturally ruled, as I have noted from my interviews with friends and family of different cultures who have married, perhaps some have divorced, and with each experience in love they have culturally accepted values that pertain to their overall ideals and values on love, marriage, shared values, etc. The purpose of this paper is to establish a clear understanding of human nature as it relates to the portrait of adulthood and mate selection; institution of marriage, procreation, and even divorce as it relates to acceptance of failed expectations and moving on. I was not surprised to learn that the people I interviewed were traditional in their beliefs that marriage is a serious commitment that should be respected and approached for longevity.

    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

  • American Society on the CHange during the Post- World War Years

    889 Words  | 2 Pages

    First of all, America has the highest divorce rate among western nations. Divorce rate increased after every major war, and decreased during the Post-World War II economic boom. The divorce rate has more than doubled since 1940, when there were two divorces for every 1,000 persons. Now for the same number of people, there are over five divorces. Studies indicate that there is more divorce among persons with low incomes and limited education and those who marry at a very young age. Teenage marriages are much more likely to end in divorce than are all other marriages. And women who marry when they are over age 30 are the least likely to become divorced. There has been a decline in divorce in the number of couples who have children under 18. Almost 45 p...

    Read More

  • Lust and Infidelity: Reckless and On the Loose

    646 Words  | 2 Pages

    The world is an ever evolving habitat, with its inhabitants rapidly altering from old to new as time progresses. The subject of infidelity is seemingly unsolvable and unavoidable. Populations have noticed a constant increase in these numbers throughout recent years. Many factors may contribute to this movement, ranging from technological advances to just change over time. People will continue to learn and adjust to these modifications as they appear.

    Read More

  • Is Monogamy the Best Form of Marriage?

    579 Words  | 2 Pages

    The divorce count in this country is now up to one out of every three marriages ending in divorce. Serial polygamy is a common lifestyle for those who are divorced and then remarried. The relationship between a husband and wife should be sacred and trustworthy. Without the trust and honesty, there is no marriage. Monogamy is the loving, sharing, and devoting one's self to another person for the rest of their life.

    Read More

  • Value Of Marriage Essay

    1334 Words  | 3 Pages

    Has the value of marriage become obsolete to the up and coming generations? With the decline in respect amongst individuals, increasing divorce rates, a decrease in moral values, infidelity rates, and lack of communication amid people, are we setting our future generations up for marital failure? The generations of today are being shown that marriage is something that they are expected to do rather than what they are meant to treasure. Marriage was once revered as a sacred union between two individuals in which they honored and cherished the vows in which they chose to recite to one another, values our current society may be lacking.

    Read More

  • Lessons on Divorce

    757 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bridget Burke Ravizza wrote the article, “Selling Ourselves on the Marriage Market” and is an assistant professor of religious studies at St. Norbert College, De Pere, WI. After talking with an unnamed group of college students, she discovers that “These college students have grown up in a society in which nearly half of all marriages end in divorce.” She also reveals “they are fearful that their future marriages will go down that path, and some question whether lifelong commitment can—or should—be made at all.” Furthermore, Ravizza finds that “students are bombarded with messages about sexuality and relationships—indeed messages about themselves—that seem to undermine authentic relationships.” Simply put, culture has accepted divorce as a “normal” thing and has already begun to affect the next generations. The surveyed students are so fearful of divorce, they are, in essence, afraid of marriage as well. They even go to the extreme of avoiding divorce by saying they may not get married at all to prevent the “undermining of an authentic relationship.”

    Read More

  • An Informative Speech On Polygamy

    824 Words  | 2 Pages

    Transition: Now that we have a basic understanding of polygamy, we need to know about the negative side effects from it.

    Read More

More about Marriage In America Essay

Open Document