Social institutions are evolving, a case in point, it is now legal for same-sex

Question

Social institutions are evolving, a case in point, it is now legal for same-sex partners to marry, but ironically, among heterosexual couples fewer are choosing to marry or they are choosing to do so at a later age. Draw on your understanding of Bronfenbrenner's ecological model, statistics on marriage and divorce (www.census.gov) and Robert Sternberg's theory of love to explain why these trends are maybe occurring and what they might mean for the future of marriage and traditional family as institutions.   

Explanation / Answer

Applying the Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory,our macrosystem has somewhat influenced our marriage preferences today.The cultural patterns and the belief system we possess today are very different from our parents.We are living in an environment now wherein marriage is not a defining factor anymore but independent life and career is. Even the chronosystem which involves family structure,having a child before getting married is becoming a trend,wherein people are wanting to be single parents by adopting or surrogacy,rather than getting married. The society is changing,our economic system is influencing our decisions to lead an independent life and focus mor on our careers and financial independence and living life on our own terms. Applying to Stenberg's theory of love,because young adults have so many avenues and options when it comes to finding a mate, they are taking their sweet time to explore those options rather than rush to the altar. This redefines the expectations individuals have about how to get the love they want. This is not a complete abandonment of love as we know it, because the truth is that millennials do want committed love, but it is a different and much slower process than past generations are used to. Millennials have re-defined the institution of marriage. Its a soul mate marriage now. What used to be companionate is now much deeper. It’s not about finding someone decent to start a family with. It’s about finding the perfect person whom you truly, deeply love.We want something that’s very passionate and not a compromise anymore. The addition of these modern expectations have added a lot of pressure for individuals to step up and fit the bill, thus making it more of a process to find a partner who will provide these critical ingredients of a happily ever after. It is no longer just about practicality, but about finding a true partnership in every sense of the word. Another consideration is the fact that millennials, generally speaking, are turned off by the idea of divorce. Some Generation Y individuals grew up in single-parent homes or juggled the balance of living between divorced parents. The economic, emotional, and relational implications of divorce are enough to make millennials want to find that sense of certainty before walking down the aisle. If that means taking 10 more years to find it, then so be it. So, maybe it’s less about a fear of commitment, and more of a response to individualism, an abundance of partner choices in our digital age, and the shifting cultural expectations of marriage. Millennials aren’t necessarily afraid to commit, they’re just taking more time to weigh their options and make a measured, lifelong decision than generations past. Today an unprecedented portion of millennials will remain unmarried through age 40, a recent Urban Institute report predicted. The marriage rate might drop to 70 percent.Traditional marriage has been on a downward trajectory for generations, but with this group it appears to be in free fall.

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