The institution of marriage: under fire as the economy decays

It's no secret that marriage has been happening less frequently and later in the developed world. Things have been headed in this direction for years, and now the rough economy is, logically enough. accelerating the trend. In harder times it makes good sense to wait before starting a family.

Will marriage itself eventually die? Or is this a temporary trend? What are time social effects of delayed marriage or the end of marriage as an institution? Socio-cultural decay or no big deal?

Those so inclned might also speculate about to what extent this could be a conspiracy of sorts. Many believe in a "depopulation agenda" -- an attack on marriage and the family certainly plays into such goals. Moreover, from a strictly economic vantage, adults without a family to support can be coerced to work longer, and for less. Less money and time spent on familes = more time available for work, more disposable income tor material goods versus raising children, etc.; a larger pool of working adults = lower pressure on wages (good for big corporations, globaliszation, etc.).

Thoughts?

In America, marriages fell to a record low in 2009, with just 52 percent of adults 18 and over saying they were joined in wedlock, compared to 57 percent in 2000.

The never-married included 46.3 percent of young adults 25-34, with sharp increases in single people in cities in the Midwest and Southwest, including Cleveland, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Albuquerque, N.M. It was the first time the share of unmarried young adults exceeded those who were married.

Marriages have been declining for years due to rising divorce, more unmarried couples living together and increased job prospects for women. But sociologists say younger people are also now increasingly choosing to delay marriage as they struggle to find work and resist making long-term commitments.

More at source:
abcnews.go.com...

I don't know if the economy is to blame. Personally I swore that I'd never get married again after living through a divorce. The ugliness of that experience, coupled with the reality that we live in an instant gratification society where throwing things away and bailing at the first sign of trouble is normal probably has more to do with the issue. People no longer know how to commit. They only know how to enter into contractual obligations that they feel comfortable abandoning when it's no longer immediately profitable. Long term commitment is no longer the way people think.

So, in short, do I blame the economy? No.

I blame Oprah.

reply to post by silent thunder


Marriage is about false promises - marriage is dead.

The best we can hope for is a relationship with someone we love - that it very difficult to get. But think other people you love! Hang on to those people!

reply to post by silent thunder


I don't think that you can attribute the lot of marriage's declining entirely to the economy. I think more so is the fact that society has changed a great deal. People have lost faith in marriage, I know I have. It rarely seems to work out anymore. The golden wedding anniversary of today is like five stinking years! People nowadays are quicker to enter relationships, quicker to "shack up" as they once said....people want that instant gratification and then they want to move on. Is this a bad thing or not? I don't know, really....but I do respect these older folks who have been together for 20+ years!

I don't know. I want to get married. I've been together with my partner for five years and we are still going strong. Marriage wouldn't really change anything for us. Yeah we'd have the paper, and some pictures, but well that's it!

I can't really see a logical reason to get married. In the wider picture I think that is something people are all struggling to see. We no longer have the stigma of "shacking up" or out of wedlock children. In fact the whole institution of marriage, as noble as it may be, is falling out of favour.


But still..I want to get married