More Americans are saying 'I don't' to marriage
Source: Agencies |
November 19, 2010, Friday
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IS marriage becoming obsolete in America?
Nearly one in three American children is living with a parent who is divorced, separated or never-married. More people are accepting the view that wedding bells aren't needed to have a family.
A study by the Pew Research Center, in association with Time magazine, highlights rapidly changing notions of the American family.
And the Census Bureau, too, is planning to incorporate broader definitions of family when measuring poverty, a shift caused partly by recent jumps in unmarried couples living together.
About 29 percent of children under 18 now live with a parent or parents who are unwed or no longer married, a fivefold increase from 1960, according to the Pew report.
Broken down further, about 15 percent have parents who are divorced or separated and 14 percent who were never married. Within those two groups, a sizable chunk - 6 percent - have parents who are live-in couples who opted to raise kids without getting married.
Indeed, about 39 percent of Americans said marriage was becoming obsolete. And that sentiment follows US census data released in September that showed marriages hit an all-time low of 52 percent for adults 18 and over.
In 1978, just 28 percent believed marriage was becoming obsolete.
When asked what constitutes a family, the vast majority of Americans agree that a married couple, with or without children, fits that description.
But four of five surveyed pointed also to an unmarried, opposite-sex couple with children or a single parent. Three of five people said a same-sex couple with children was a family.
"Marriage is still very important, but it doesn't dominate family life like it used to," said Andrew Cherlin, a professor of sociology and public policy at Johns Hopkins University. "Now there are several ways to have a successful family life, and more people accept them."
One American family tradition isn't changing though. About nine in 10 Americans say they will share a traditional Thanksgiving holiday meal next week with family, sitting at a table with 12 people on average. About one-fourth of respondents said there will be 20 or more family members.
The changing views of family are being driven largely by young adults 18-29, who are more likely to have an unmarried or divorced parent.
But economic factors, too, are playing a role. The Census Bureau reported that opposite-sex unmarried couples living together jumped 13 percent this year to 7.5 million. It was largely attributed to people unwilling to make long-term marriage commitments in the face of unemployment.
Nearly one in three American children is living with a parent who is divorced, separated or never-married. More people are accepting the view that wedding bells aren't needed to have a family.
A study by the Pew Research Center, in association with Time magazine, highlights rapidly changing notions of the American family.
And the Census Bureau, too, is planning to incorporate broader definitions of family when measuring poverty, a shift caused partly by recent jumps in unmarried couples living together.
About 29 percent of children under 18 now live with a parent or parents who are unwed or no longer married, a fivefold increase from 1960, according to the Pew report.
Broken down further, about 15 percent have parents who are divorced or separated and 14 percent who were never married. Within those two groups, a sizable chunk - 6 percent - have parents who are live-in couples who opted to raise kids without getting married.
Indeed, about 39 percent of Americans said marriage was becoming obsolete. And that sentiment follows US census data released in September that showed marriages hit an all-time low of 52 percent for adults 18 and over.
In 1978, just 28 percent believed marriage was becoming obsolete.
When asked what constitutes a family, the vast majority of Americans agree that a married couple, with or without children, fits that description.
But four of five surveyed pointed also to an unmarried, opposite-sex couple with children or a single parent. Three of five people said a same-sex couple with children was a family.
"Marriage is still very important, but it doesn't dominate family life like it used to," said Andrew Cherlin, a professor of sociology and public policy at Johns Hopkins University. "Now there are several ways to have a successful family life, and more people accept them."
One American family tradition isn't changing though. About nine in 10 Americans say they will share a traditional Thanksgiving holiday meal next week with family, sitting at a table with 12 people on average. About one-fourth of respondents said there will be 20 or more family members.
The changing views of family are being driven largely by young adults 18-29, who are more likely to have an unmarried or divorced parent.
But economic factors, too, are playing a role. The Census Bureau reported that opposite-sex unmarried couples living together jumped 13 percent this year to 7.5 million. It was largely attributed to people unwilling to make long-term marriage commitments in the face of unemployment.
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