Matt Weir / The Collegian
To live with a partner, have premarital sex or raise children out of wedlock was once frowned upon. But as Generation X replace the Baby Boomers, the conservative attitude toward marriage has been radically liberalized.
There are fewer marriages, more divorces, less children and more couples living together today, than in 1960–when the percentage of Americans married with children was at an all-time high.
According to a 2010 study by the Pew Research Center in association with TIME Magazine, 68 percent of all twenty something year olds were married in 1960; now only 26 percent are.
In science, opposites attract. In reality, opposites are less likely to exchange vows.
The Pew study shows that Americans are increasingly marrying their counterpart; in particular, someone with the same educational level, as New York University sociologist Dalton Conley points out in the latest issue of TIME.
“Fifty years ago, if you were a high school dropout [or] if you were a college graduate or a doctor, marriage probably meant more or less the same thing. Now it’s very different depending where you are in society,” Conley says. “Getting married is an important part of college graduates’ plans for their future. For the less well educated, it’s often the only plan.”
The definition of what marriage was and what marriage is lies oceans a part.
Marriage was similar to the that childhood jump rope rhyme: Joanie and Chachi sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in a baby carriage.
It was a formula of expectations. A belief that once you find love, you get married and start a family.
Whereas today, Joanie and Chachi are probably doing a lot more than kissing in that tree and it still won’t lead to love or marriage.
But it may just lead to babies which could explain the eightfold increase of single moms from 5 percent in 1960 to 41 percent in 2008. Marriage is no longer necessary to form a family. Nearly 40 percent of Americans think that marriage has become obsolete; compared to the 28 percent that did.
Many ideals were lost since the 1960s, however, the sanctity of marriage was not one of them. The Pew survey indicates that Americans still desire to get married–it’s just a matter of time.
In science, genes skip a generation. I hope that Generation X can mirror that of our grandparents relationships and not be plagued by that of our parents.
Anonymous • Feb 13, 2011 at 11:38 pm
The CREATOR made the rules for marriage. And in fact created marriage.
Fornication and adultery are against the rules according to God.
Not my rules but the Creators rules.
Philosotroll • Feb 14, 2011 at 6:01 pm
Apart from the conspicuous lack of evidence to support any of the claims you want to make.
Even if I were to accept the Bible as true (which I don’t, and you shouldn’t either) you’re still left with a few problems. God has an extensive record of allowing polygyny and the Bible provides an enormous legal structure for accommodating polygyny, both with respect to the rights of the wives (Ex 21:10-11) and the inheritance of the children of the wives. (Deut 21:15-17) Of course, it often disturbs Christians to point out that most of the discussion of the rights of wives occurs in sections of the text dealing with property law (Ex 21 is a perfect example) but given the historical treatment of the institution of marriage, that’s not surprising.
In ancient traditions, Judaism and Christianity included, marriage was a way of dealing with property and inheritance. “The Creator’s Rules” are an attempt to ensure the continuity of property ownership and the maintenance of a patriarchal line of descent. In contemporary life that is far less important.
Personally, I prefer the institution of marriage the way that it is now: less concerned with the production of male offspring capable of operating the family business and inheriting the trade and wealth from the father and more concerned with the relationship between both loving parties. But that’s just my opinion.
Ron • Dec 9, 2010 at 11:25 pm
I think one of the big changes from 1960 to the present is that more females are pursuing careers as well. In the late 50’s and early 60’s most of the moms were stay at home moms.
Now, more than ever, more moms have a career and are out in the workforce.