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...
This effectively means that the success of a marriage is largely based on the choices couples make before and after marriage.
Conclusion
The reasons presented above in support of marriage clearly demonstrate that the same is still as relevant as it was several decades ago. In the final analysis, marriages based on trust, mutual understanding and respect are likely to last longer than those based on suspicion and insecurity.
Works Cited
Ferraro, Gary, and Susan Andreatta. Cultural Anthropology: An Applied Perspective. 9th ed. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.
Institute for American Values. "Why Marriage Matters: 26 Conclusions from the Social Sciences." Family Scholars. Institute for American Values, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2012.
Lamanna, M. Ann, and Agnes Riedmann. Marriages and Families: Making Choices in a Diverse Society. 9th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education, 2006. Print.
Munroe, Myles. Purpose and Power of Love and Marriage. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, 2005.…
