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Marriage is declining in significance around the world in the 21C (Essay…
Marriage is declining in significance around the world in the 21C
(Essay planning)
Reasons for Decline
Women have more rights
Increase in cohabitation and non-traditional relationships
Greater focus on career and individualism
Impact of social change
Secularisation (decline in religion)
Influence of feminism and LGBTQ+ rights
LAW:
its possible, or easier, in many countries.
ATTITUDES:
people put themselves first and no longer have to do what was previously expected.
SECULARISATION
(religious decline): marriage vows no longer taken seriously. More weddings are now civil ceremonies, not religious.
FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE:
W no longer need to marry for economic support; don’t have to accept expressive role (housework). More able to support themselves after divorce.
LIFE EXPECTANCY
is longer = married for longer = longer periods after kids have left home > divorce after many years as dissatisfaction has grown, or because they want new opportunities.
EXTRA-MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS
: easier for people because of the internet, social media and dating apps (Tinder).
Trends in marriage rates
OECD marriage data (latest).
Example: U.S. marriage rate dropped to 6.1 per 1,000 in 2020, the lowest on record.
Numbers of 1st Marriages
-Compare generational data in developed nations.
-Focus on cultural shifts like Japan’s “never-married” population.
Age at first marriage
Sources: UK, South Korea, and OECD reports.
Global rise in age for first marriage (e.g., U.S. average age: 28.6 for women, 30.4 for men in 2023).
Numbers of remarriages
National statistics from countries like the U.S. and EU.
Remarriage as a factor sustaining marriage’s relevance.
Theoretical Perspectives:
Functionalism:
Importance of marriage in maintaining social stability.
Feminism:
Critiques of traditional marriages as patriarchal.
Postmodernism:
Diversity in family forms and individual choices.
Conclusion
Weigh the evidence for and against the decline of marriage’s significance.
Acknowledge regional and cultural variations.
Conclude with a nuanced statement: Marriage is evolving rather than universally declining, with its importance varying depending on cultural, economic, and personal factors.
Arguments:
Support
Declining marriage rates globally
Rising age at first marriage
Rise in cohabitation and alternative lifestyles
Against
High rates of remarriage
Marriage remains significant in some regions
Legal and economic benefits encourage marriage