Washington D.C. — The fact that the number of Americans getting married is at a record low is due to changes in society’s values, public policy decisions and economic factors, says sociologist W. Bradford Wilcox.
He was responding to a Dec. 14 Pew Research analysis that indicates marriage rates in the U.S. are at a record low, as young couples are delaying marriage longer than ever before.
According to Pew Research Center’s analysis of U.S. Census data, only 51% of adults in the U.S. are currently married, compared to 72% in 1960. In addition, new marriages in America dropped by 5% between 2009 and 2010.
While the decline in marriage is taking place among all age groups, it is most drastic among young adults. The analysis observed that only 20% of adults between the ages of 18 and 29 are married, a drop from 59% in 1960.
Part of the decrease in currently married individuals may be tied to young adults delaying marriage, the report said. Both men and women are about six years older when they enter into their first marriage than couples 50 years ago were.
The analysis suggested that divorce is a factor in the decreasing percentage of adults who are currently married. However it noted that divorce rates have leveled off in the last 20 years after climbing in previous decades.
A similar decline in marriage has been observed in most other “advanced post-industrial societies” and in some less developed nations as well, said the report, noting the trend has continued in both good and bad economies.
Wilcox attributed the decline in marriage to multiple social changes in recent decades.
Difficulties in finding stable work may lead couples to cohabit or delay marriage, he told CNA.
In addition, the culture has shifted, becoming more individualistic and accepting of alternatives to marriage, including premarital sex and cohabitation.
Wilcox also pointed to how marriage is no longer privileged in many public policies and is sometimes even financially penalized by law, creating an incentive for couples to remain unmarried.
Religion also makes a difference, he said, pointing to a 2010 report on marriage in America that the National Marriage Project coauthored.
The report found that non-religious people are “much more likely to divorce than are the religiously committed” and that cohabitation is more common among non-religious people.
Americans have become increasingly disengaged with institutions, including churches, which have reported declining membership over recent decades, Wilcox observed.
The decrease in couples who marry could harm American society, he said.
Married couples are statistically happier and children do better when they are reared by married parents, exhibiting a lower likelihood of being depressed or using drugs.
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The decline of interest in marriage is sad, and unwarranted. The reasons that society should expect a man and a woman to make a public commitment to each other before they begin an intimate relationship are as real and valid as they ever were.
I think the decline in marriage among the young is mainly to do with fear. These people see marriage failing all around them and the sorrow it has caused. Many weren’t raised in a religious home and didn’t have that cushion of love and trust in our Lord to fall back on. So now they are cautious to not repeat the obvious mistake of their parents that also caused them so much sorrow. The “don’t touch that” dilemma the dog has after getting kicked by the horse.
Without religious values, children (and even adults) now choose to cohabit and live in a sinful state thinking this will avoid the sorrow of choosing the wrong person. Like the Bible says, don’t do evil that good may come. So the vicious cycle can only get worse until people bring guidelines and religious morals and values into their lives.
Unfortunately, with the secular world poo-pooing religion, mainly Christianity, they will find these laws and guidelines too cumbersome. As the Bible says, they will find these laws to be as manacles on their feet and barbs on their right hand. We live in a me-me-me world of go nowhere but down.
Pray! Pray! Pray for our dear little children and what lies ahead. We are into a moral war and who best to help us but God at this point. We need some saints to rise up among us!
Let me underline what I understood from the article:
Children are less happy when not reared by married parents.
People are less happy when they are not married.
People are more likely not to marry when non-religious.
Cohabitation or delaying marriage does not depend on economy.
Why does it all tell me that people become less happy when they sexually use other people, and when they more distant to God?
Why do I think that the cohabitation is more often in the countries that accepted western culture of contraception and abortion…
It is interesting - when people want to be more happy they oppose God’s teaching and they end up less happy. But that is obvious for those who love God and a total black magic to those who reject God…
Bottom line - Jesus did not say that we will know what to do when we understand His teaching. He told that when we do what He commands us to do, we will understand His teaching.
That includes respecting other people and their bodies instead of using them as more sophisticated hands (sorry for the image.)
Blessings,
Greg.
We are surrounded by self worshiping pagans… and society is reaping the harvest… Wisdom has been replaced by Lady Gaga.
Before everyone comes down on single people entirely… please allow me, as a single - never married woman just over 40 to explain that there is a very large percentage of single adults out there who did NOT choose to be single. We want very badly to be married, even in a society that keeps telling us to “ignore the pressure to marry!”
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Also, despite what everyone ponders here…. I have been abstinent for many, many years. I have never lived with a man (okay, I had a platonic male roommate for about six months) and I am not overly committed to my career. Likewise, I participate in Mass every Sunday as both a lector and an EME. (and before anyone speculates, I am reasonably pretty, thin and fit as well as educated)
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And I’m not the only one.
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The challenge here is somehow society has raised at least one generation of men who are SCARED. They’re not only scared to commit to marriage. . they’re scared to date! I think most of them don’t even have any idea how to! And never mind that - even the Catholic men expect sex well before a commitment.
Part of it is the economy - men don’t feel they can be husband material if they’re struggling with unemployment or a struggling business.
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Please please please get some programs in the church to build braver men. To teach men about Humanae Vitae .
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It’s too late for me to start a family the old fashioned way… but please don’t make me grow old alone!
Before everyone comes down on single people entirely… please allow me, as a single - never married woman just over 40 to explain that there is a very large percentage of single adults out there who did NOT choose to be single. We want very badly to be married, even in a society that keeps telling us to “ignore the pressure to marry!”
.
Also, despite what everyone ponders here…. I have been abstinent for many, many years. I have never lived with a man (okay, I had a platonic male roommate for about six months) and I am not overly committed to my career. Likewise, I participate in Mass every Sunday as both a lector and an EME. (and before anyone speculates, I am reasonably pretty, thin and fit as well as educated)
.
And I’m not the only one.
.
The challenge here is somehow society has raised at least one generation of men who are SCARED. They’re not only scared to commit to marriage. . they’re scared to date! I think most of them don’t even have any idea how to! And never mind that - even the Catholic men expect sex well before a commitment.
Part of it is the economy - men don’t feel they can be husband material if they’re struggling with unemployment or a struggling business. AND they believe every marriage will end in divorce and they fear losing their money!
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Please please please get some programs in the church to build braver men. To teach men about Humanae Vitae .
.
It’s too late for me to start a family the old fashioned way… but please don’t make me grow old alone!
You certainly can’t blame this trend on same-sex marriage. Oh you heterosexuals!
Here… my friend was able to articulate my point better than I could.
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http://erinannie.blogspot.com/2011/12/are-singles-delaying-marriage.html?showComment=1324235403621#c3392164639364179754
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she writes: “SOME singles are putting off marriage for those reasons (divorce, careers, etc). The rest of us are by-products of those people. It reduces the chances for the rest of us who want to get married and always have, to have the opportunity to do so, while we are forced to wait for them.”
Dear TRS:
Have faith in Holy Spirit. The next year we hope for Pentecost. Father - it is time to help your Church. Your Son promised to be with us always. The World looses sense of purpose, and you need your Daughter to go and start serving and speaking to the people’s hearts. And You know that we cannot do it without You!
TRS - How will know what hunger is when you never lack food? That is what Our Father does to His Church, and that is what we all start feeling, aren’t we?
As per real men - remember that the Church was always supposed to be this yeast mixed with the dough. Not dough itself. We have a lot of dough who are not willing to follow Christ teaching and loving others above themselves. That is why you have a problem to find real men in this crowd. Look for those who are praying after the mass. Those who are before the mass. Those men really know God exists and they take their time to talk to Him. They are not perfect, but they desire change. They may be waiting for you.
Look into Blessed Sacrament Chapel.
As for the subject you touched, we need to turn to our priests who for a reason are called fathers. We all need to pray for them so they can start teaching the Truth no matter how we, their spiritual children are acting out. Only the Truth spoken from fathers to men will make these men men.
Only real men can teach other men to be real ones.
Pray for all your priests.
Blessings,
Greg.
Sorry ... these are all pernicious factors but the real Elephant in the room killing marriage is UNEMPLOYMENT; especially and particularly youth UNEMPLOYMENT. Living in your parents basement because all the jobs have gone and continue to go to China and Vietnam and Indonesia and India ad nauseum IS the chief reason for the drop in marriage.
Glad all you “Social Justice” types who swooned over Barry Obama and his hope and change and got LGBT first foremost and always along with that foul job killing monstrosity that is Obamacare-abortion-paracide as the demon-crat first priorities.
This county continues to slouch it’s way not only to Gomorrah but also to the cliff of a real depression. Thank your nearest narcissistic prideful Notre Dame liberals or facsimile thereof for this demagogue-in-chief; the gift that keeps on giving.
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