Trends in Family Formation Supporting Same Sex Marriage

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Trends in family formation are crucial in determining the kind of families that will exist in future generations. It is fact that the father- mother kind of families that have existed for many generations maintained over the years due to the belief that they were the ideal type of family set up. However, the trends in family formation today are changing as a growing number of families are experiencing several challenges such as divorce, single parent situations, financial problems, legal battles over custody and wealth and infidelity, among other challenges. These have caused young people to question whether the traditional way of doing things is practical in the twenty first century and many do not intend on following their parents’ footsteps in relation to marriage and parenting (Morrison, Headrick, Wasoff & Morton, 2004).

Marriages and heterosexual relationships in the current world are in the process of change. In the past, these were created and nurtured in such a way that they lasted for many years, with the intention of being life long relationships. Today, these unions are not necessarily for life and some are even perpetuated for purposes such as financial gain; whereby a spouse marries the partner just to gain the financial benefits that accrue as a result of the marriage. Such kinds of marriages do not last and eventually end up in divorce. It is reported by Brannen (2002) that from the 1970s to the late 1990s divorce rates rose while marriage rates fell in European countries. Canadian trends in gender and family relations are also reported to be increasing tolerance of divorce, non marital cohabitation and unmarried parenthood (Roberts, 2005).

The modern age trends in family formation are changing and the change is...

... middle of paper ...

...e sex marriages is also becoming integrated into the accepted norms of behavior.

Works Cited

Julia Brannen, J. (2002). Young Europeans, work and family: futures in transition.

London, UK: Routledge

Morrison, A., Headrick D., Wasoff F. & Morton, S. (2004). Family formation and

dissolution: Trends and attitudes among the Scottish population. Retrieved on 11th April, 2011 from

https://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/bitstream/1842/2792/1/0029610.pdf

Roberts, L. W. (2005). Recent social trends in Canada, 1960-2000. Canada: McGill-

Queen's Press - MQUP

Stanton, G. L. & Maier, B. (2004). Marriage on trial: the case against same-sex

Marriage and parenting. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press

Wagner, C. G. (2010). Homosexuality and Family Formation. Retrieved on 11th April,

2011 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_go2133/is_201005/ai_n53505310/

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