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Marriage and The Family in The United States Today

During the 1960s and 1970s, women's participation in the labor force increased significantly, with over 60 percent of married women with young children now working. Despite this, marriage remains a vital institution in the U.S., with 72 percent of adults having been married at some point, although the percentage of those married has decreased from 85 percent in 1960. Additionally, education plays a crucial role in marriage trends, as marriage is less common among individuals without a college degree.

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20 views1 page

Marriage and The Family in The United States Today

During the 1960s and 1970s, women's participation in the labor force increased significantly, with over 60 percent of married women with young children now working. Despite this, marriage remains a vital institution in the U.S., with 72 percent of adults having been married at some point, although the percentage of those married has decreased from 85 percent in 1960. Additionally, education plays a crucial role in marriage trends, as marriage is less common among individuals without a college degree.

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During the 1960s and 1970s, women began to enter the labor force. They did so to
increase their families’ incomes and to achieve greater self-fulfillment. More than 60
percent of married women with children under 6 years of age are now in the labor force,
compared to less than 19 percent in 1960. At about the same time, divorce rates
increased for several reasons that we examine later in this chapter. Changes in the
American family had begun, and along with them various controversies and problems.

Marriage and the Family in the United States Today

In the United States today, marriage remains an important institution. Only about 27
percent of all adults (18 or older) have never been married, 56 percent are currently
married, 10 percent are divorced, and 6 percent are widowed (see Figure 10.1 “Marital
Status of the US Population 18 Years of Age or Older, 2010”). Thus 72 percent of
American adults have been married, whether or not they are currently married. Because
more than half of the never-married people are under 30, it is fair to say that many of
them will be getting married sometime in the future. When we look just at people aged
45–54, about 87 percent are currently married or had been married at some point in
their lives. In a 2010 poll, only 5 percent of Americans under age 30 said they did not
want to get married (Luscombe, 2010). These figures all indicate that marriage
continues to be an important ideal in American life, even if not all marriages succeed.
As one sociologist has said, “Getting married is a way to show family and friends that
you have a successful personal life. It’s like the ultimate merit badge” (Luscombe,
2010).

Although marriage remains an important institution, two recent trends do suggest that its
importance is declining for some segments of the population (Cohn, Passel, Wang, &
Livingston, 2011). First, although 71 percent of adults have been married, this figure
represents a drop from 85 percent in 1960. Second, education greatly affects whether
we marry and stay married, and marriage is less common among people without a
college degree.

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