Can Marriage Be Saved
Can Marriage Be Saved?
Written by: Frank Furstenberg
Summer 2005
I chose the article “Can Marriage Be Saved?” written by Frank Furstenberg. This article was found under the “topics for course papers” section of our syllabus, link number four.
I felt that the article was very much true to life. I agree that marriage seems to last a lifetime for the more educated and wealthy. I see all too often young adults getting married just because they have become pregnant or for the wrong reasons. This theory rarely seems to work. This usually causes problems for the young family because neither person is ready to take on the major responsibility that having a family at such a young age brings. This relates very close to my life because I was married and had my first child at the age of 16. With the lack of education and work experience that I had, it made it almost impossible to support and provide for my child. Needless to say, I found myself divorced and a 16 year old single parent six months later.
The struggles of being married without an education or a career are a huge strain on a relationship. It is almost unheard of to have the idea, 1960’s, type of lifestyle these days. It was very common for the woman to be the homemaker and the caregiver for the children during this time while the man worked and provided for his family. Now, it is almost forced upon most families to have a middle class lifestyle or above in order to live a comfortable life. With this being said, it is crucial for both parties of the marriage to obtain a higher education and to work full time. Adding a child to the mix of working, school and trying to find time to be a parent can be a disaster. No wonder most marriages end almost as soon as they begin. I believe the best way we can change these old habits is to set better examples for our children and instill high values in them to get a college degree and make sure they have a strong career path before tackling the challenge of marriage
Written by: Frank Furstenberg
Summer 2005
I chose the article “Can Marriage Be Saved?” written by Frank Furstenberg. This article was found under the “topics for course papers” section of our syllabus, link number four.
I felt that the article was very much true to life. I agree that marriage seems to last a lifetime for the more educated and wealthy. I see all too often young adults getting married just because they have become pregnant or for the wrong reasons. This theory rarely seems to work. This usually causes problems for the young family because neither person is ready to take on the major responsibility that having a family at such a young age brings. This relates very close to my life because I was married and had my first child at the age of 16. With the lack of education and work experience that I had, it made it almost impossible to support and provide for my child. Needless to say, I found myself divorced and a 16 year old single parent six months later.
The struggles of being married without an education or a career are a huge strain on a relationship. It is almost unheard of to have the idea, 1960’s, type of lifestyle these days. It was very common for the woman to be the homemaker and the caregiver for the children during this time while the man worked and provided for his family. Now, it is almost forced upon most families to have a middle class lifestyle or above in order to live a comfortable life. With this being said, it is crucial for both parties of the marriage to obtain a higher education and to work full time. Adding a child to the mix of working, school and trying to find time to be a parent can be a disaster. No wonder most marriages end almost as soon as they begin. I believe the best way we can change these old habits is to set better examples for our children and instill high values in them to get a college degree and make sure they have a strong career path before tackling the challenge of marriage