The question whether or not an arranged marriage should or should not be an interesting one today for many young Indian-American men and women, especially those with parents who grew up in India and have arranged marriages themselves. Couples of previous generations saw marriage differently. Many regarded marriage as sacred, their marriage as permanent, and they remained married regardless of how each partner perceived the other.
I am not religious, I do not care about a big wedding, and I understand that the practical realities of the real world mean that many couples do not work and do not feel that marriage is necessary. Although the majority of the population believes that marriage can be beneficial, they do not see it as a priority for a fulfilling life. Finally, marriage seems like a nice idea to celebrate, and many do a lot of it, but in the long run it’s not that important.
These findings about the priority of marriage in life reflect how marriage is seen as the cornerstone of adult life rather than the cornerstone it once was and how it was once used as part of the path to a stable life.7. Today, however, it is viewed as something that happens after people have established themselves and careers are secure. “Marriage is more important than a successful career for me “, 19% agreed, half (52%) disagreed and 29% were ambivalent. The institution of marriage is likely to continue, but former marriages will be overhauled and new patterns will emerge. Married couples, such as single parents, co-habiting couples and couples who share a residence (whether or not they are married) have become more acceptable in recent years, and people are less motivated to get married.
In this context, the cohabitation contributes to the phenomenon of people marrying first at a later age than is typical for previous generations (Glezer, 1991 ). Half of all civil partners marry within three years (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). Couples can use this time as often as they often do to find the kinks in the relationship, but as we will find out later, it has little effect on the success of the marriage.
In recent years, single parents and co-habiting couples (couples who share a residence but not a marriage) have become more acceptable, and people are more motivated to marry. According to the National Center for Family and Marriage Research, 88 percent of 35 to 44-year-old women are married with a four-year college degree compared to 79 percent of women with only a high school degree. Young adults with higher earning potential can afford to get married, while a larger number with poorer economic prospects are holding back – you don’t really see power-couples placing much emphasis on the casino bonus CA residents pile up to take advantage of, as just one of many ways through which to save a buck, for instance!
It has been noted that society in general and marriage in particular are becoming more individualistic. These major trends have created a context in which people question the connection between marriage and parenthood, the idea of complementary gender roles and the connection between marriage and heterosexuality.
