According to the Pew Research Centre, there was a decline noted in the marriages from 2008 to 2011. These estimates are recorded by the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Suzanna Walters, professor of Sociology and Director of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program at the Northeastern University was interviewed and asked about the possible reasons behind the fall in the number of Americans getting married.
Walters suggests that one should accept this change because marriage as an institution will always fluctuate and evolve. She says that marriage has become more of a ‘democratic affair’. It has changed its nature to a more companionate one. And more importantly, the law does not encompass the right for same-sex marriage and still believes in the discrimination on the grounds of heterosexual marriage.
When asked about the connection between education level and marriage and how it has evolved across times, she says that marriage is definitely about love but also goes beyond it. There is staying together, paying the rent, having a stable job, and participating in the consumerist economy. Hence, marriage prospects also depend upon the socio-economic class status of the individual. Apart from the economic levels, the education level, racial inequalities, and class stratification play an important role too.
About families, she says that marriage and family are two different things and cannot be confused together. Only a very small number of families are nuclear. Therefore, first, they counted 40 percent of the total American families and later estimated 20 percent.
She concluded by saying that the decline in marriages can be perceived as a positive sign as it creates a new pattern of care and intimacy. It opens up various aspects, like individual sexual liberty. It can actually give liberty and time to both the individuals to decide whether they are compatible to be in a relationship, like marriage.
Akshara Palshetkar
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