

{"id":36380,"date":"2019-04-05T07:15:08","date_gmt":"2019-04-05T07:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/?p=36380"},"modified":"2023-06-05T11:10:51","modified_gmt":"2023-06-05T11:10:51","slug":"is-marriage-obsolete","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/is-marriage-obsolete\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Marriage Obsolete? Lets\u2019 Explore"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-35842 size-full\" title=\"Is marriage obsolete?\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Why-is-it-so-hard-to-tell.jpg\" alt=\"Is marriage obsolete?\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the past few decades, we have witnessed the rise of divorce and a drop in marriage rates. In the US alone, the total number of people getting married has dropped half a million since the record peak in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/1973487?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">1980s, spiking at 2.5 million marriages a year<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is worth noting that a drop in marriage rates is a global trend recorded in &#8536; of 100 countries over the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interestingly, even though <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2011\/12\/Marriage-Decline.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">44% of Americans under 30 indicated that marriage is becoming obsolete<\/a>, only 5 percent of this sample doesn&rsquo;t want to get married. It seems people are rating marriage as extinct, but nonetheless giving it a shot. So, the question arises, is marriage obsolete?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What is making the marriage obsolete?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many factors could be making the marriage obsolete. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amongst them, we recognize <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/finance\/\">financial freedom<\/a> of women, the general rise in the freedom of choice, postponed pubescence, the transformation of the relationships, the possibility to have sex without being married first, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A financially independent woman nowadays enjoys the freedom to choose her future husband herself. Earlier, it used to be decided by her family, and she had to settle for a good husband that could provide for the family. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, today. women can work and provide for themselves, making marriage a matter of personal decision instead of a forced choice. But, at the cusp of this newfound autonomy and relationships, they often ask themselves, &ldquo;Is marriage obsolete?&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike in the past, when women married for financial security, today, the main reason is love. This also means that if they choose not to marry at all, they can do so. All this together is making the marriage obsolete. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At least in the developed and developing world, women don&rsquo;t have to wed a man to become financially dependent on him. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A-shift-in-the-role\"><\/span>A shift in the role<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both women and men, after growing up, have a chance to become financially autonomous.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A woman can work if she decides to and a man no longer has to rely on his wife for housekeeping. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These roles can now be such that a man can be a stay at home dad, while the mom is the family&rsquo;s provider. Additionally, being financially independent allows women to choose if they want to be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/parenting\/being-a-single-mother\/\">single moms<\/a> since they don&rsquo;t have to have a providing husband to become a parent.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Marriage-requires-compromise-and-work-on-the-relationship\"><\/span>Marriage requires compromise and work on the relationship<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-17755 size-full\" title=\"Marriage requires hard work\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/How-Couples-Can-Manage-Household-Expenses-and-Avoid-Conflicts.jpg\" alt=\"Marriage requires hard work\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Often a lot of both. Knowing we will have to make bargains in a marriage makes marriage seem less appealing. Why compromise when you don&rsquo;t have to, right? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our mindset and culture are largely focusing on being happy and getting the most we can from life. If it seems like marriage is not adding value to our lives, we are less likely to opt for it.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It used to be we married for financial security and having children, but being able to that while being single makes the marriage less needed nowadays.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"People-choose-to-remain-single\"><\/span>People choose to remain single<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today we, mostly, marry for love, and we are willing to wait until we find the right person. People choose to remain single until they encounter someone with whom they will have to make the least possible compromise. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not having to be married to have children is one of the main factors for making the marriage obsolete.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sex used to be one of the key reasons for getting married. However, having <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/physical-intimacy\/physical-intimacy-before-marriage\/\">sex before marriage<\/a> is more acceptable than it used to be. We no longer have to be in a relationship to have intercourse. Is this respect, for some, the question &ldquo;Is marriage obsolete&rdquo; is a yes. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Furthermore, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/live-in-relationship-rules\/\">live-in relationships<\/a> have gained legal status in many places. Being able to formalize aspects of live-in partnership by writing a legal agreement made the marriage seem less alluring.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We should take into account that the time when joining in holy matrimony has significantly changed. People used to marry in their early 20-is, but now most people get married and have children after they are 30. Teenagers are not rushing to become adults and enter matrimony. There are many opportunities and freedoms they didn&rsquo;t have before and that they wish to explore before they lock themselves in a marriage. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lastly, many do not get married simply because they see marriage as a &ldquo;piece of paper&rdquo; that does not define their relationship with the chosen partner. So, for them, the answer to the question, &ldquo;Is marriage obsolete&rdquo; is in the affirmative. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Why would one want to get married?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Will marriage become obsolete? Highly unlikely. The rate of marriage may decrease, and it surely will go through many changes, but it will continue to exist. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marriage may seem like an outdated institution, but for many people, it is a crucial way of showing their dedication to one another.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many find this the ultimate way of solidifying the commitment and declaring their love for one another.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is marriage obsolete? Well, not for those who place a premium on commitment. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/quotes\/88\">Marriage is about commitment<\/a>, and that makes it easier to invest in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/solutions-for-8-common-relationship-issues\/\">solving relationship problems<\/a>. While in a relationship, it can be easier to stop improving the relationship and to break up, but a marriage is all about committal. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Knowing something is supposed to last, and the person is not going anywhere can make it easier to invest effort in the betterment of the relationship.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The stability of the marriage provides security and acceptance that we all seek. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marriage strengthens the bonds and increases trust in someone&rsquo;s devotion and loyalty. <\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marriage paws way to building a stable family in which the children can thrive and feel secure. Marriage makes it easier to build a family since there is someone to share the load with. Especially since you and this person share a strong emotional connection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, there are many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/finance\/financial-benefits-of-marriage\/\">financial benefits to marriage<\/a>. Lowered income tax, social security, pension funds are just some of the financial profits a marriage brings. When married, your partner is able to make legal decisions on your behalf and this is something that is unavailable for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/\">cohabiting couples<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>To marry or not to marry<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-34612 size-full\" title=\"To marry or not to marry\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Can-You-Be-Legally-Separated-and-Living-Together-in-the-Same-House.jpg\" alt=\"To marry or not to marry\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nowadays, people have more freedom, and one of them is to define their relationship in a way they want to. Choosing to be single, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/rules-one-must-adhere-to-when-in-an-open-relationship\/\">in an open relationship<\/a>, married or something entirely other is a personal choice we are free to make. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each of those options has its pros and cons and is a legitimate choice to make. Is marriage obsolete? No, and probably will never be. It is an option that still makes sense to many people for emotional, religious, financial, and cultural reasons. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":""},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the past few decades, we have witnessed the rise of divorce and a drop in marriage rates. In the US alone, the total number of people getting married has dropped half a million since the record peak in the 1980s, spiking at 2.5 million marriages a year. It is worth noting that a drop in marriage rates is a global trend recorded in &#8536; of 100 countries over the world. Interestingly, even though 44% of Americans under 30 indicated that marriage is becoming obsolete, only 5 percent of this sample doesn&rsquo;t want to get married. It seems people are <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1419,"featured_media":35842,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[21],"tags":[2625],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36380"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1419"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36380"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36380\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51297,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36380\/revisions\/51297"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}