Marriage and Family Essay

A family is a highly individualized idea. But it is fair to state that the institution of the family is significant in our culture. In a 2010 survey in Washington, D.C., the Pew Research Center found that 76% of the respondents responded that their family was the most significant aspect of their lives. Only 1% of those polled said their families weren’t significant (Pew para.9). One of the American Presidents, Ronald Regan, stated that the family has always been the foundation of American society (Lee 22).

The treasured and shared values are preserved, nurtured, and transmitted to subsequent generations by families. On the other hand, marriage has evolved with the changing society. Research shows that 39% percent of the American population believes that the institution of marriage is becoming obsolete. The good thing is the marriage institution might continue; the only thing is that some previous marriage patterns will become outdated as new patterns of marriage emerge (Pew Research Centre para.6). Therefore, marriage and family are still important and valued institutions in our society.

Support for Importance of Marriage/Family

The USA Census collected data that showed that the rate of marriage had been steadily declining over the last four decades. Some of the factors attributed to the decline include the fact that people are choosing to wait a little longer before getting into first marriages. In this way, it is not that people no longer value the institution of family and marriage; they are just taking their time before they tie the knot. Research shows that people wait either through ascribing to the delayed age for the first marriage or through cohabitation.

Delayed Age at first Marriage

Today, women wait until they are 27 years and men 29 years to even consider getting married. Women no longer feel pressured into marriage like they did in the olden days because they now have financial opportunities to support themselves. People are also putting off marriage to pursue a career or education, and once they are through, they get married. Sociologists who have studied the trend say that although people may be postponing marriage, they are not discarding it altogether.

Increased Cohabitation

Sociologists who have studied this trend argue that while people may be discarding or delaying marriage, they have not yet given up on the idea of living together. Cohabitation rates have risen between 1970 and 2016 by a 1000-fold. People view cohabitation as a trial to marriage, a part of a relationship that is serious or a marriage alternative. Today, about 23% women and 28% men cohabited before getting joined legally. The vast majority of relationships in cohabitation eventually end up in marriage. Only 15% women and men cohabit and end up not getting married. Further, within three years, about one-half of partners cohabiting transition into marriage (U.S. Census Bureau para.5).

Post - Modern Family

Many people debate and argue how a family ought to be defined due to the increased change in the marriage and family trends. Some argue the change in the family/marriage institution is an issue of concern and prefer the conservation of the traditional notions of the family. For instance, Popenoe David argues that family and marriage has reduced and that this affects the children negatively which may eventually transition to the society. Hence, he favors the traditional family as the optimal model of childrearing, that is, mother and father living with their biological children. In contrast, Stacey Judith sees this change as an adaptation of the institution, resiliency and progress sign and not something to be worried.

Personal Experience and Analysis

I was brought up in a closely neat nuclear family, father, mother and my siblings. The family provided an atmosphere of security for us as children, and despite the challenges at home my mother and father were always there to share the responsibility of bringing us up. With my experience, I believe that a man and woman should get married and raise their children together. However, if the marriage does not work, both parents should make sure they are always there to provide for their children. The responsibility of rearing children falls on two parents, and they should be responsible.

Conclusion

There has been a concerning myth that the family institution is on the decline and that divorce rates are on the rise. The myth has made the marriage/family institution unfavorable for the younger generation. However, divorce rates have greatly declined, and even as people cohabitate and delay marriage, they eventually commit to one another. People should not give up on marriage/family because of the reasoning of others because it is and will always be the foundation of a strong society.

Works Cited

Lee, Richard. The American Patriot’s Bible: The Word of God and the Shaping of America. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009.

Pew Research Centre. “The Decline of Marriage and Rise of New Families.” 18 November 2010. Pew Research Centre. 30 April 2017 .

U.S. Census Bureau. Current Population Survey (CPS). 2010. 30 April 2017 .