Napassorn Esharoe

Chris Spielvogel

Cas 137H

November 15th, 2016

Redefinition and Decline in Marriage

Commitment is an act of engagement that restricts freedom of action in one way or

another. It all comes in a variety of types and levels of intensity. When one is born, they grow up

committing to an education system and friendship developed among peers in their school. Then,

one becomes responsible for their own financial dues and is committed to a workforce. Another

stepping stone that is known as todays norm is a commitment towards another individual who

shares an interdependent relationship. Marriage has served a purpose in all reasons and it varies

depending on the region and era that individual is in. Although it is possible to pinpoint a

commonplace shared throughout time and places, marriage is still a broad concept that one cant

assuredly define into one definition. Throughout time, the concept of marriage has shifted

depending on social, economic, and political factors. The notion adapts to fit with the purpose of

what that era defines as a necessity or benefit towards the society or an individual. In the United

States, there is a shift in marriage in comparison to the 1950s. Marriage has declined from then

and people have find alternatives to substitute this act of commitment. As a result, American

society is shifting into an era where marriage is redefined which results in a decline in marriage

because perspective in marriage is changing, emphasis on individualism is accentuating, and role

of gender is adjusting.
 Definition of marriage has changed throughout time in order to fit in with the eras and

cultures norm of advantage and necessities. During the stone age, men and women marry each

other as a way to organize sexual activities and provide an anchored structure for child-rearing.

In times where territorial expansion is dominating the New World, marriage between emperors

were done for stabilizing relationships between two nations. Women depend on marriage for

economic survival as their social status limits them from taking actions and making a stable

income. But today, the notion of marriage is about love where two individuals come together to

form a complex yet mutual personal fulfillment. The past notion of coming together for

economic gain and family formation no longer stands true (more options in conceiving a child

such as adoption). Without the helping hand of financial dependence, an end to a marriage or

even an entrance to a marriage is less likely because a sense of personal fulfillment might no

longer be there. By that, marriage has changed because America has changed, the archetype of

marriage from 19th century can no longer stand because the culture before has completely

altered (UVA). People change in accordance to the social change, so the concept of marriage has

transformed across different cultures and era.

Not only has the definition of marriage has shifted, but also the benefits one takes out of a

marriage has changed. Since marriage brings about a sense of meaning, purpose, direction, and

stability, expectations about security and assurance do come in hand (UVA). Before, marriage

stands for business and economic benefits. But now, people get themselves into marriage for the

emotional and self-satisfaction benefits.To the extent, marriage allows two individuals to endure

their optimal happiness and happy people, on the other hand, also are more likely to marry. In

theory, happy marriage results in less depression, anxiety, and engagement with illegal actions.
However, people outside marriage doesnt mean theyre less happy. Marriage is less prevalent

among young adults today and as a matter of fact marriage rate is lowest in the recorded history

today. At the same time, divorce rate is also at its lowest level since 1970 of 3.6 divorces per one

thousand couples per year (UVA). That is so because people also wait longer to get married. The

median age of married individuals today has changed from 23 to 27 years old. To the extent,

people over 65 years of age are more likely to be married than people between 16 and 65.

Today, rate of marriage is declining because perspective about marriage is changing,

therefore people are finding alternatives for marriage to lower the risk of separation and less

commitment. Skepticism or trust is todays most crucial issues when it comes to a lifetime

commitment. As a result, young adults today get themselves out of marriage because they dont

want to risk themselves in a situation where their emotional and social status is exposed. This

leads to a rise in cohabitation where two people live together and act like a marriage couple, but

without the legal commitment. People carry around the motive of, if one never makes a

commitment, one is never going to divorce. Cohabitation is becoming the norm, since there are

also no government benefits favoring marriage and as well as no taboos against unmarried

cohabitation. By that, countries in Northern Europe shows a lower marriage rate and a higher

cohabitation rate. Compared to 30 years ago, marriage rate is the lowest. The reason that people

are turning towards the idea of cohabitation is because it is a stepping stone to marriage.

Todays society consists of people with greater uncertainty about compatibility or benefits of

marriage, which is why 59% of married couples lived together before tying the knot (Davis

Matthew). Living together allows couples to test their relationship before heading for the big

change. As todays dating culture is changing, society is consisted of people living with fear of
separation and skepticism about their partner. To the extent, cohabitation also comes with a

benefit. Divorce prone couples cohabit rather than cohabiting cause divorce. Therefore, divorce

rates are declining than it used to be in the 1970s.

Todays emphasis on individualism has caused individuals to have a different perspective

upon marriage and shift away from it. Individualism is basically the belief that personal needs

are more crucial than society needs. It was believed that individualism started developing among

people born after World War 2. That is so because of the shift from manual labor to office jobs.

This allows Americans to gain more education and wealth which promote self-fulfillment and

individualism, which makes people think about I more than we. Each individual would start

thinking about their own benefits out of a social gain including benefits out of a marriage.

Instead of seeking benefit for society as a whole, everyone would grasps all the benefits they

could gain that couldve gone to the society and put it towards themselves. This is one of the

huge factor contributing to the decline in marriage. People start looking out for the optimum gain

instead of collectivism. Therefore, one would only marry if they see themselves better off than

being on their own. When one starts looking out for their best interests, they start developing fear

of not gaining any advantage from marriage. Therefore, this leads to skepticism over a partner

whether theyre compatible enough to provide an emotional gain.

Another underlying factor for the decline in marriage is the changes in dating culture.

Dating trends among teenagers took its toll and has changed from in and out. Todays hookup

culture has a major effect on changing peoples idea of love and how people no longer engage in

serious relationship. Young adults live in constant mental battle between insecurity and

uncertainty. They are less secure in the idea of committing and being in something that will last a
lifetime. Before, dating used to be something very delicate that takes a lot of time and effort. In

the past, boys would ask girls out for dinner or to a movie. After that, they get to know more

about each and other and then decide whether they want to pursue the relationship in a deeper

level. Nowadays, people engage in sexual activities or hook up and then decide whether they

want to get to know the person or not. The alteration also adds a positive effect among the

common motive of people who arent able to find a partner. Hooking up emphasizes friendship

over pairing up, which removes the negative stigma of people who cant get a date. However,

this shift in dating culture also carries in a lot of many other issues such as gender inequity. Girls

or young women become insecure about their appearances and body image as they try to pursue

a deep relationship with a boy who doesnt reciprocate the same desire. The issue also goes on to

sexual harassment and sexual assault in result of todays norm of finding a compatible partner

through hookups. Therefore, an individual struggles to find their best fit for a long term

commitment and are more cautious of the people theyre involved in. This, delays the age a

person gets married as uncertainty and insecurity rises. To the extent, some even move away

from marriage as there are more downsides to them. The risks and consequences of marriage

separation also enhance as this shift in dating culture stresses the issue of refusal for commitment

among males.

Since the 1960s and 1970s, role of gender for women has changed and altered the

meaning of marriage. In 1960, world of American women was limited in every possible respect.

There was only one path for women to follow, which is getting married in the early 20s, then

start a family and devote their whole life to housekeeping and child rearing. Female back then

doesnt really expect a lot from life, shes here as someones keeper, (Tavaana). On average, a
woman does 55 hours a week of domestic chores. Women were basically legal subjects of their

spouse without any rights of their husbands earnings or property (Tavaana). Although they were

provided with the proper support, it was hugely limited. To the extent, when marriage falls

apart, most women struggle to prove their husbands wrongdoing as there were no such thing as

fault marriage or penalty in marriage.

Women had no option other than devoting an extensive amount of time to house chores

since jobs were very limited. In 1960, only 38% of American women were working women with

limited career fields such as teacher, nurse, and secretary (Tavaana). Although some invested

themselves in professional working field, most were generally unwelcome in the path. As a

matter of fact, only 6% of women were doctors, 3% were lawyers, and less than 1% were

engineers (Tavaana). As said by one of the head employer, women were kept out of the

professional field simply because they dont want them here. Not only this notion was

accepted among employers, but women were also well aware of their places in the workforce.

On top of that, societys view on parental roles had impacted womens ability to work. 39% of

women were forced to reduce the amount of work hours as a result of child rearing compared to

only 28% for men. Undoubtedly, women were paid with lower salaries than men despite the

equal workload and specialty. In 1980, women made $0.55 for every $1 a man made

(Infographic). Everyone, especially men, live on with the ideal that housewives were content to

serve their families. But in the reverse, women felt trapped and unfulfilled as they were

hampered by the restricted opportunities. As a result, group of feminists in the 1960s and 1970s

ran a movement focusing on the elimination of the accepted wisdom of work inequality like

denial of access to better jobs and salary inequity. But this wasnt the first movement of women
liberation, but the second one. Luckily in 1964, Howard Smith of Virginia had a proposal on

prohibiting gender discrimination in the Civil Rights Act (Tavaana). Although he was humiliated

and greeted by laughter from other congressmen, the law was still passed with the amendment

intact. Moreover, group of feminists including Betty Friedan found an organization to fight

against gender discrimination through legislatures. By 1966, national organization for women

also lobbied the congress for pro-equality laws. The Women's Liberation movement didnt only

serve a purpose in creating equality among women in workforce, but also in eliminating the

patriarchy that oppressed every aspect of womens lives including private ones. In this second

wave of the movement, many women focused in creating a respectable environment and tried

stay away from acts such as bra-burning, antiman, and politics of orgasm as much as possible.

But, people of different ages and social status often have disparate ideas and approaches to the

topic. The mix of different age and class allowed the media to see the movement in various

ways. Nevertheless, all actions accumulated and were successful in attracting the media. Despite

the differences in approach, most women in movement tried to stay away from negative

stereotypes.

Although the movement improved workforce inequality among women, the old notion

was completely eliminated as a result of boomed economy after World War II. As a result, the

American nation was forced to accept women in workforce as they have fill up opening jobs.

After the alteration in workforce, there were also many changes towards the womens world.

Rape crisis center, womens shelters, and health clinics were created to give assurance and

support to women. Resources to aid domestic violence and rape victims also existed later on. In

1993, the UN general assembly declared an elimination of violence against women which
allowed women to feel more safe and secure (Women In). To the extent, women were given

instant access to education with less restrictions and also an increase in participation in politics

and workplace. Moreover, access to abortion and birth control were also created. These positive

changes are huge factors towards the paradigm shift in marriage. The rise of equality among

women allowed women to consider for themselves other than their spouse and children. This led

them to focus on their own aspiration and life goals. After the movement, the one life path for

women no longer existed and women now have much more freedom to make decisions. As a

result, some women move away from the notion of mandatory marriage. This contributes to the

decline in marriage rate and rise in cohabitation.

A simple creation of birth control pills have caused a significant change in how the lives

of women are today. Access of birth control pills in the 1960s, gave room for women to decide

when theyll marry and who theyll marry. Since the stress of unexpected and unwanted

contraception is out of the picture, women had more options to their commitment life. Some

delay motherhood until theyve found a compatible partner as a result of the changes in marriage

definition, benefits, and access to birth control pills. Statistically, women who delay motherhood

by one year increase their earnings by 9% (UVA). This makes marriage less compelling and no

longer necessity for survival. The delay motherhood also changes the median in age of marriage

and percentage of marriage. Access to birth control pills narrows the gender wage gap and

women were able to become mothers later and become more confidence over timing their

fertility. Moreover, this creation also increases the attendance and graduate of women in college.

Claimed by Amalia Miller, University of Virginia Economics professor, women who had access

to pill before age of 21 in the 1960s had 8% higher wages than their counterparts and also ended
up marrying higher earning men. Access to birth control pills and legalized abortion help

explain the recent decline in both divorce and marriage. Since women become more selective

upon when and whom they marry, there are less chance in marriage separation. As a matter of

fact, people of the same income and interests tend to marry together.

Womens Liberation movement serves a role in creating gender equality among men and

women and as well as create more freedom. The old image of gender role has taken its toll and

strict patriarchism no longer stands as a norm. Although some still agree that a head of family

should be a male figure, restrictions arent laid upon women. Changes in workforce and

education equity raises womens economic status. Women are able to be more independent and

provide themselves a stable income. For instance, the number of women in the parliament has

doubled in the last 20 years. Currently, there are 21 women head of CEOs compared to only 1 in

1998 (Infographic). Therefore, marriage as a result of financial dependence no longer stands in

the consensus. Marriage is less necessary for economic survival. Moreover, child rearing is no

longer labelled as a womans role. Both male and female hold accountable for this position. As a

matter of fact, family sociology emphasizes the importance in equal childcare from both mother

and father. Society today is shifting towards a balance between two genders. Therefore, both

sides of the gender have equal opportunities in the decision of marriage. This contributes in the

explaining of decline in marriage. Even if rate of marriage is taking its turn, changes in gender

role bring in a lot of positive changes to todays society. All in all, some changes are still out

there to be made and improve as only 29% of countries around the world has made necessary

changes for gender equality (Women In).

 Compared to 1960s, marriage today is rapidly declining and is becoming less prominent

towards the eyes of individuals. The reason that there is a paradigm shift in the definition of

marriage is because the pasts definition of benefits and priorities no longer stands true to today.

The shift in marriage definition, emerge of cohabitation, emphasis of individualism, and change

in womens role in society are the underlying factors in the decline of marriage. The decline in

marriage also contributes an effect on all aspects of the human nation. Marriage take parts in

effecting the incoming generation, or as broad as the human population and human evolution. It

may positively effect todays rapid rise in fertility rate. This paradigm shift leads to the change in

human behavior such as morality and sexual behaviors. Moreover, the objective of each

individual in the dating world may change. Some individual might grow up with the mindset of

having marriage as a huge part of their tasks and goals. For instance, everyone grows up having a

couple of goals in life where they want to accomplish or partake an action in. Todays accepted

norm as a life accomplishment includes gaining education and earn enough income which allows

one to fulfill their personal satisfaction in their prefered endeavors. This goes hand in hand in

marriage where before, women grew up with a mindset of having to get married one day. The

current change in the perspective towards in marriage might eliminate that picture. Therefore,

one should take into a consideration whether this paradigm shift in marriage is less detrimental to

todays society than harming it.

Works Cited
Davis, Matthew. "The Changing Nature of Marriage and Divorce." The National Bureau of

Economic Research. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

<http://www.nber.org/digest/nov07/w12944.html>.

"Infographic: Gender Equality Where Are We Today?" UN Women. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov.

2016.

<http://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/multimedia/2015/9/infographic-gender-equality-wh

ere-are-we-today>.

Tavaana. "The 1960s-70s American Feminist Movement: Breaking Down Barriers for Women."

Tavaana. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

<https://tavaana.org/en/content/1960s-70s-american-feminist-movement-breaking-down-barriers

-women>.

"The New Dating Culture." The New Dating Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

<http://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/parenting/challenges/sexual-purity/the-new-dating-cu

lture>.

TheWeek. "How Marriage Has Changed over Centuries." How Marriage Has Changed over

Centuries. N.p., 01 June 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

<http://theweek.com/articles/475141/how-marriage-changed-over-centuries>.
"Women In the Workplace: Then Vs. Now." Human Resources MBA. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov.

2016. <http://www.humanresourcesmba.net/women-in-the-workplace/>.

UVA_Alumni. "The Marriage Crisis: How Marriage Has Changed in the Last 50 Years and Why

It Continues to Decline." Virginia Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

<http://uvamagazine.org/articles/the_marriage_crisis>.