Marriage Still Relevant Today? Divorces,

¶ … Marriage Still Relevant Today? Divorces, marital instability, and extramarital affairs have become commonplace in today's society. Many individuals are also electing to either remain single or engage in cohabitation. With this in mind, can marriage still be regarded important in today's society? Has marriage gone out of fashion? In my opinion, marriage is still as relevant today as it was five or six decades ago. Is Marriage Still Relevant Today? In the words of Lamanna and Riedmann, "socially accepted alternatives to permanent marriage-being divorced, cohabitating, and permanent singlehood-have indeed emerged" (241).

In the opinion of the authors, a number of things have contributed towards the emergence of these alternatives. These include but they are not limited to low-sex ratio in which case the number of women exceeds that of men, changing attitudes toward singlehood and marriage in which case remaining single is now regarded a choice rather than an act of deviance, decreasing attractiveness of marriage as a result of enhanced lifestyle and job opportunities, etc. (Lamanna and Riedmann 262). Regardless of these factors, the relevance of marriage cannot be overstated.

It is important to note from the onset that the reasons for marriage have not changed. We have. To begin with, based on the role it plays in the creation of "stable relationships between men and women that regulate sexual mating and reproduction," marriage still matters (Ferraro and Andreatta 210). In the opinion of the authors, given the sexually receptive nature of human beings, there is a need to have a socially approved manner of regulating mating, reproduction as well as child-rearing.

This important function of marriage further enhances its relevance today. Secondly, the other important and critical role marriage still plays today has got to do with the facilitation of division of roles. As Ferraro and Andreatta point out, men and women, for some cultural or even biological reasons, tend to perform different tasks (210). This exchange in the opinion of the authors enhances changes of survival. According to Ferraro and Andreatta, this exchange is facilitated by the domestic relationship created by marriage (210).

Next, the recent downturn in economic activity was a reminder of the need for individuals to enhance their financial stability. According to the Institute for American Values, family scholars support the findings that on average, married couples are more likely than cohabiting couples or singles to build more wealth. Further, past findings have indicated that single motherhood or divorce could make children and their mothers vulnerable to poverty (Institute for American Values n.p.). Marriage hence enhances the financial stability of partners.

This is more so the case given the challenging economic times we now live in. The need to raise children in a stable familial setting is yet another reason why marriage still matters. According to the Institute for American Values, findings supported by leading family scholars indicate that children who are not raised in an intact marriage are more likely to either become unwed parents or divorce altogether.

Marriage in most societies as Ferraro and Andreatta point out "creates a set of family relationships that provide the material, educational, and emotional support children need for their maturation" (210). Many cite the failure rate of marriages today as an indicator that marriage has gone out of fashion. However, as Munroe points out, "modern society's confusion about marriage results in many couples' marrying for the wrong reasons-reasons that are insufficient for sustaining a healthy,.