Is marriage becoming somewhat outdated?

Question

Why are fewer people getting married? Will marriage one day disappear?

I want to get married someday but the future looks very bleek.

Answer 1

I think this decrease of numbers of people getting married, it's result of independence growing in the population, added to the increasing number of divorce. Independence has its pros and cons. More independent people becomes, more lonely, less needy, more isolated and less willing to compromise with others they become. People are more open to compromise and make sacrifices as long as they feel they need to have someone. I also think, the American society are becoming more materialist having others things and values lowered to a secondary position in their lives. Plus, the trauma of divorce isn't limited only to the couple but the child resulted of this union too. Resiliency and skepticism will affect futures generations.
The numbers of suicides are higher in singles people than in the married ones.<-- a sign that something is not going well.
My conclusion is married people, even with all sacrifices and challenges required by a married life are still happier than singles, whom have a life mainly compromises with themselves.
PS: I am single.

Answer 2

Why would the future look bleak? If you want to get married then do so whenever you want. Marriage is not predicated upon social shifts or cultural standards. Marriage is still chosen by more couples than not, in fact the absence of such is in comparison a small percentage. Marriage is in essence a union between a husband and wife and so it is their personal commitment to each other that determines that rite. A marriage ceremony does not necessarily have to be performed in a religious sense but basically only the commitment can be professed by the couple to each other before the Deity of their beliefs. Marriage certificates are mainly for tax purposes and other legalities and religious ceremonies bless the union and establish observance by a church. Some believe that a church wedding is more sanctimonious than a civil ceremony.

Answer 3

Not going to happen.

What is happening is that because marriage moved away from its emotional and spiritual metaphor and became a tool of social obligation, those who got married (and who grew up with such parents) for the wrong reasons essentially 'devalued' the institution of marriage, to the point that everyone else, seeing all the failing marriages, is standing on the sidelines.

It's much the same way when a stock, that's way overpriced and overhyped, tumbles due to market influences and/or expectations. Alot of people dump their stock, and the price drops really really low, so that almost no one is willing to buy it. There are more stock options available to buy then there are to sell, so its considered 'less than valuable'.

The more marriages occur that are between two people (man and woman, man and man, woman and woman) who actually undertake the endeavor based upon the emotional tenets rather than the social ones (nurturing, caring, respect) will rebuild the idea among others. 'Romeo and Juliet' couples are a great commercial for why marriage will never truly disappear.

In actuality, what I think is that as more and more people see heterosexual marriages fail (due to being granted for all the wrong reasons) and more and more gay/lesbian people 'binding' themselves successfully, it will once more reconfigure marriage along an axis of emotional content rather than being one primarily used for social and religious cohesion.

True love is never outdated, and the needing of a ceremony in which one pledges one's affections to another will always exist. The first marriage, after all, was simply two people promising each other to be exclusive, faithful, and nurtuing/supportive to each other, without anyone present but 'God' or the 'spirit of love' within them.

Answer 4

The fast pace of the present day world does not provide a conducive atmosphere to the average human to be able to keep the commitments of marriage.That is why fewer people are getting married nowadays.However i do not think that marriage as an institution will disappear for at the end of the day every one wants to return home,even if that means marrying at a later age.

Answer 5

Good question

No answer unfortunately.... but I will also admit that we lived together for nearly six months to see if it would work out.

It is not the act of getting married that defines a couple to me, it is the act of getting along with each other. If anything the marriage bestows certain rights upon both people and ensures any children are taken care of hopefully. Especially if it all falls apart as so many marriages are doing now.

Originally the Celts only had marriage rites for people who were pregnant so the ensuing children would be taken care of.

Answer 6

Marriage is an institution used for various reasons by various cultures and individuals. A key purpose of nature that is served by marriage is that it enforces commitment to offspring. If we were to not have an institution such as marriage, then who will tend to the needs of a helpless new born child? In my opinion, this is the only true motivator for an institution such as marriage in society. Otherwise, there are relationships which, irrespective of whether they are sanctified by the cultural institution of marriage, depend more on the bond between the individuals rather than the institution itself. That said, in some societies, marriage is still a necessity for social and legal acceptance of a relationship, and is a criterion to consider while deciding whether or not to marry.

Answer 7

I believe ERA has a lot to do with the decline in marriage. As women gain power men slowly learn. Marriage Can be quit devastating to men. losing children except financial responsibility is not a mans Idea of fairness. In the seventies it became a fad for women to get married, have a child, and get a divorce. Just to have income.

Answer 8

Fewer ppl are getting married because fewer ppl want to be divorced. It's harder these days to stay commited with all this new technology like the cell phones and the internet, if I had it to do all over again I would've probably stayed single, far less stress.

Answer 9

It's going back to what it used to be before religion was attached to it---a civil contract. Even among Jewish culture, there's a civil contract (the ketubah.) The Christian type is outdated and odd, especially considering the history of marriage.

Answer 10

Marriage has been largely taken over by the government. This is causing it to lack the sacredness it was held with before. If the courts are allowed to rule on marriage, then it is becoming meaningless indeed. I am afraid that it will fade away over time.