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Explore the evolving landscape of marriage rates, benefits, partner selection systems, and factors influencing intermarriage based on age, social status, religion, and race/ethnicity in the U.S.
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Marriage Rates According to the census, 58.2% of the U.S. population was married in 2007. In 2007, the Crude Marriage Rate, based on the number of persons marrying that year per 1000 in the population, was 7.3 per 1000. In 2005, the General Marriage Rate, based on the number of persons eligible to get married and correcting for two persons in each marriage was 40.7.
Marriage Trends Declining marriage rates Increased numbers of never married adults Delayed marriage Later age at marriage
Marriage Rates are Influenced by: Structural constraints—such as changing birth rates and pools of eligible partners (marriage squeeze), varying economic conditions, war and social conflict, and the composition of the marriageable population. Other variations are due to differences in state marriage laws, season, and even day of the week.
Why Marry? When marriage is based on the kinship system, it provides a mechanism for passing on the family name and property. Marriage/cohabitation in the U.S. fulfills functions such as personality formation, status ascription, nurturant socialization, tension management, reproduction, economic cooperation, and stabilization of adults.
Benefits of Marriage • Married people show higher levels of mental and physical health and economic stability. • For women, marriage may be an economic safety net. • For men, marriage provides greater mental health benefits, due to emotional support provided by wives. • Differences between married and single persons are decreasing. • Benefits of marriage could be spurious (i.e. healthier, more stable people may be more likely to marry).
Systems of Partner Selection Arranged marriage—partner choice made by parents or kin of the bride and groom (linked to traditional cultures). Autonomous marriage—potential partners choose each other with little or no input from parents or kin (linked to Western cultures).
Partner Selection Homogamy denotes similarities among couples. Endogamy describes marriages and relationships within specific groups. That people choose partners like themselves more often than not is known as assortive mating.
Partner Selection Heterogamy refers to differences among couples. Exogamy refers to selecting a partner from outside one’s own group.
Defining Intermarriage Defining intermarriage is difficult due to the inconsistency in operational definitions used by researchers. Measuring intermarriage is problematic because there are two different marriage rates: Total number of marriages; and Percentage of married individuals.
Factors That Foster Intermarriage Group Size Community Heterogeneity Unbalanced Sex Ratio Relaxed Group Controls Cultural Similarities Romantic Love Complex Psychological Factors
Structural CharacteristicsInfluencing Intermarriage Age at Marriage Social Status Religion Race/Ethnicity
Age at Marriage From the 1890’s to the 1950’s the average age at marriage decreased. Since 1956, the median age for both men and women has increased. The median age at marriage is higher for men (27.7) than women (26). Age heterogamous marriages are characterized by lower educational levels, occupational statuses, and family incomes. Laws regarding age at marriage vary from state to state.
Social Status Class homogamy is related to educational endogamy. Both have increased since the 1930’s. Mesalliance is marriage with a person of a lower social status. Hypogamy occurs when a woman marries someone of a lower social class. Hypergamy occurs when a woman marries into a higher social class.
Social Status The mating gradient refers to men’s tendency to marry down and women’s tendency to marry up if they marry outside their own social class. The mating gradient results in more unmarried men of low social status, and more unmarried women of high social status.
Religion and Intermarriage Religious endogamy is quite strong in the U.S., especially among the religiously ‘devout.’ The most dramatic increase in religious intermarriage has been between Catholics and Protestants.
Religion and Intermarriage Defining interfaith marriage is problematic because measures of religious affiliation and religiousity are inadequate. Religious identification, not religious homogamy, is correlated with marital stability. There is little support for claims that interfaith marriages are unstable or have a secularizing effect on children.
Race/Ethnicity and Intermarriage In 1967, the Supreme Court struck down laws banning interracial marriage. Norms discouraging interracial marriage are still quite strong. Interracial and interethnic marriage have increased in recent years, but still account for only a small percentage of all marriages.
Race/Ethnicity and Intermarriage Few intermarriages occur between Blacks and Whites. When they do occur, they are almost always between a Black male and a White woman. Most interracial marriages are between White men and Native American, Japanese, or Filipino Women.
Success Rates forInterracial Marriages Success or Failure is Influenced by: Age Religious Beliefs Education Level Residence Location Support from Family Members Children of mixed heritage do not experience lower self-esteem or higher stress.
