I Might

While marriage remains a religious institution for many, and in Western cultures it is the ultimate sign of love and commitment, from a social perspective, that institution also has many utilitarian applications. Traditionally, it can represent a division of labor as well as a platform to provide for the care and nurturing of the next generation. Property rights are often changed as a result of marriage, and in so many societies, marriage is an enhancement to the value of the husband’s parents’ and grandparents’ “retirement plans,” especially where extended families represent the only social safety net. At a village level, marriage is also a barrier to jealous outrage and resulting violence when a wandering “partner” faces communal sanctions for stirring up the pot, so to speak. Needless to say, the acceleration of modern divorce laws may have reduced the value of that latter attribute.

But at the core of all socially-sanctioned matrimony is some kind of restructuring of financial responsibility and concomitant expectations. Given this financial element – embodied in the standard “for richer or poorer” inclusion in most Western marriage vows – it becomes interesting to ask if an overall collapse of the general economy, lowering financial abilities and expectations, has produced any “ripple” within marriage statistics. Well, we have some answers here in the United States, trending which probably reflects comparable results in other Western cultures as well.

Tracking information from the U.S. Census Bureau, the September 28^th New York Times notes: “Among the total population 18 and older, the share of men and women who were married fell from 57 percent in 2000 to 52 percent in 2009 — again, the lowest percentage since the government began collecting data more than 100 years ago. The share of adult women who were married fell below half, to 49.9 percent… Two factors contribute to the decline in marriage among adults ages 25 to 34, said Andrew Cherlin, a sociologist at Johns Hopkins University: less marriage and more cohabitation, which has become far more socially acceptable, even with children.

“According to the federal data, the share of young adults who have never married climbed from 35 percent at the start of the decade to 46 percent in 2009… There have long been large racial differences in marriage rates, with blacks far less likely to marry than whites, but that difference has been shrinking as cohabiting becomes more popular with whites, Dr. Cherlin said. And many young adults, he said, are postponing marriage rather than forgoing it altogether.” Some psychologists and sociologists suggest that with longer life expectancies and greater geographical and employment mobility, there is also a greater fear of commitment.

But does this trend reflect an overall social trend, amplified by the increasing job and economic independence of women? Or is it perhaps simply a reflection of the overall economy. Anecdotal accounts show couples citing job insecurity as a primary factor in delaying marriage, but until the economy swings back to “good,” we may not have an answer. For those in the service sector who benefit from marriage – from airlines and hotels to florists and caterers – a marriage bump in an improving economy might seem like salvation to an industry sector that most certainly is not enjoying delayed marriages and budget-conscious “receptions” and after-wedding celebrations.

I’m Peter Dekom, and as I keeping saying, all these “little changes” add up to a very significant aggregation of change in American lifestyles and values.