Marriage Crisis In America



`Marriage Crisis in AmericaKrystal BrownUniversity of Texas in El PasoMarriage Crisis in AmericaFor the most part, people hope and wish to find that one special person to start a family and spend their entire life with. This is what Americans typically dream of. Marriage is a union between a man and a woman where they become one and vow to stay with each other no matter what. This union is known to be highly respected, however, the value of marriage is changing and people are divorcing more than ever. Failure of marriage is in epidemic in our community and for the sake of our country, Americans must hold marriage to a higher standard, for marriage is important for the growth of American society. Has Values of Marriage Changed?As our society changes, the view of marriage changes. Men and women do not value marriage as they once did. Divorce was once a rare thing amongst couples and was even frowned upon, but now it just seems to be a normal part of life. People used to be excited about getting married, looking at it as a life-long promise before God, and to cherish and be with their significant other forever. The religious factor of marriage is almost all gone. Now, people are hastily deciding to get married and with the rushed decision, not taking the time to understand what they are getting themselves into, thus divorcing. Since there is less of a stigma of divorce, it is becoming more common and acceptable in society. The seriousness of marriage is taken so lightly that couples are even experiencing infidelity more than ever. According to, This is simply because marriage is now seen as insubstantial and replaceable, rather than a lifelong commitment. Can the Economy Play a Role in the Success of Marriage?This period of economic decline that American is now experiencing can cause even more problems than one may realize. As a result of our fallen economy, there has been a major decline in marriages in the United States. Money problems, unemployment, and the cost of living can carry a tremendous weight on a marriage. As Butterworth of Forbes (2013) has stated, “the rate [of marriage] will go back up as under-employed and debt-laden 18-34 year olds recover economically.” As Americans resolve the problems within our economy, the success of marriages will actually start rising, instead of declining, as it has been. There is a close correlation between marriages and how educated and well-off one may be. As Butterworth has added, “marriage numbers are stagnant or declining among those with a high school education or less, younger Americans, and the less affluent.” It is known that the main struggle in a marriage is money, so this goes to show that education and the flow of income can affect a marriage. The economy is playing a big role in the success of marriage, and if these problems were not present, divorce would not be so much of an option to couples.1600200148590000Just as the economy can play a role in the success of marriage, marriage can affect our economy. Newport and Wilke (2013) states, “Americans who have never married spend significantly less… suggesting that if the marriage rate increases, overall spending in the U.S. may increase and benefit the U.S. economy.” The graph here displays just how much married couples are spending compared to single, divorced, or domestic partners are. The success of marriage can help the economy to thrive and flourish. According to Usher and Davis (2013) as taxpayers, Americans are paying for the rebuilding of marriage absence. If the success in marriage were not a problem, Americans would not have to spend money on fixing the issue. Usher and Davis have also stated that in just Missouri alone, “social spending is 50% higher than spending on education.? High marriage-absence rates means that schools are shortchanged.” Instead of spending more on education and insuring that our children will have a promising career and statistically more likely to have a successful marriage because of it, Americans are spending more on fixing the issue. The cycle just keeps on going.Can the Success of Marriage Affect the Future of American Society?The whole reason why the success of marriage is even important in America is for the sake of society. Healthy structures of family are the building blocks of a successful community because children are the future. It is said that children being raised with both a mother and father married under one household have a better chance to succeed and flourish. Children with married parents are less likely to experience poverty and have a higher chance in education. As Hawkins (2013) reports:According to the Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, children from single-parent families account for 63 percent of all youth suicides, 70 percent of all teenage pregnancies, 71 percent of all adolescent chemical/substance abuse, 80 percent of all prison inmates, and 90 percent of all homeless and runaway children.Basically, less stress at home means children do better in school, thus, better job opportunities when finished. Households with divorced or separated parents can bring much stress and worry to a child. Typically, in a divorced family, the children live under the mother’s roof, but it is important for a child to have the influence of not only a female, but a male as well. They need to learn from both sides, so there is a great deal of importance of having their mother and father to raise them. Teaching children the fundamentals of a healthy relationship amongst couples will enforce a positive view on marriage as well; as the saying goes, “monkey see, monkey do.” Positive views of marriage will help the development of American society as a whole. ConclusionIt is understandable that couples are experiencing difficulties from the economy that may negatively affect their marriage, but most American’s view on marriage has still changed drastically over the years. Children are the future, so they must have a great role model of how a happy marriage should work; which starts with adults taking marriage more seriously. American society has gone from viewing marriage as a special moment in one’s life to looking it as something that can be easily undone. If society wants to flourish instead of decline, marriage must be respected and viewed to a higher standard. Annotated BibliographyButterworth, Trevor. “What’s Behind the US Decline in Marriage?” Forbes. 25 Jun. 2013: 1 Forbes. Web. 19 Oct. 2013. This magazine article provides insight on one of the main reasons on why there is a decline in marriage today. One of the main reasons given is the economy. The recession proves to be the main topic given for why Americans cannot seem to stay married. This magazine article is a credible source for my paper because it provides many reasons to why less and less people are getting married. Traditional values seem less important to Americans today when it should be the other way around. Including the economic perspective of why marriage has failed in America will help to prove how American’s low income can affect stress on marriage and divorce in the future.“Divorce Rates Rising in Military Families.” The Homefront. NBC Learn. Web. 19. Oct. 2013. This video provided on the NBC Learn website introduces a marriage crisis in America founded amongst military families. The video found on the website shows why divorce rates are rising in the military and how the government has funded certain programs to help with this issue. Statistics are also given to illustrate how marriage has declined dramatically since 2010. I plan on using the information given in this video and interviews to prove how marriage has become a crisis in America today.Hawkins, John. “7 Reasons Marriage is Falling Apart in America.” Townhall Magazine 06 Apr. 2013: 1. Townhall. Web. 19 Oct. 2013. This is a very interesting magazine article by John Hawkins who describes seven distinct reasons why marriage is collapsing in front of our eyes. It explains that in order to fix the problem we as a society must first recognize what the problem is and where it stems from. I find this article very helpful in writing my paper because it provides deep insight and thought on my topic of marriage. It gives specific reasons as to why there are less Americans getting married. The amount of reasons given will provide a deep argument I can include into my paper. It will cause the readers to think and question themselves how they themselves can provide a better relationship with their spouses in the future. Jasondulle. Americans’ Changing Views of Marriage and Family. 2011. Web. 19 October 2013. This website provides key information given by the Pew Research Center. The report included various social statistics that helps America to visualize the effects social trends are having on marriage and families today. It compares statistics from the past until now. This Internet source will help to strengthen my argument in my paper because providing statistics given by this Internet source shows that marriage is indeed failing in America. People believe numbers rather than say so. More people will also realize there is a serious problem when given statistical facts on the social trends of today.Newport, Frank and Wilke, Joy. Economy Would Benefit if Marriage Rate Increases in U.S. Gallup Economy. Web. 28 October 2013.This is a report that explains how married couples spend more money than any other martial status group. Basically it is supporting the idea that marriage is better for America because it helps with the function of our economy. The article provides an extensive explanation on just how marriage helps the economy. It also provides a graph on just that, which I will use in my report. This article will help support my argument that marriage is beneficial in society and even helps with the development of our economy.Usher, David and Davis, Cynthia. “Marriage: America’s Greatest Fiscal Issue.” The Center of Marriage Policy. Web.This article shows important information in how marriage can affect the economy. It includes many statistics that will prove helpful in my report. It provides information on how the marriage is a huge factor in the bringing down of our economy. This source will strength my paper, for it has many statistical information. It will get people to see the affects in numbers rather than in words. ................
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