Marriage Matters Summary Linda J, Waite
Nik Weber
EN140
5 September, 2012
Summary
“Marriage Advocate” In Linda J. Waite’s pro-marriage article “Marriage Matters,” she sheds statistical light on the outweighing positive, as well as the negative, aspects of marriage. From her view, there are four outcomes which are directly affected from marriage opposing including: health, wealth, intimacy with your spouse, and, of course, the children. These four topics are the areas most affected (positive or negatively) by living single, married, cohabitating, or rebuilt lifestyles. As a preface, Waite progresses through various statistics fostering today’s pattern of decreased marriages. She states clearly that, “The decline in marriage is directly connected to the rise in cohabitation-living with someone in a sexual relationship without being married.” Statistics showed a vast decrease in marriages between both black and white marriages. This seems to be an epidemic in today’s society providing examples which might reflect people or situations in our lives. Another one, of the many, shocking statistics show that about “one third” of births occur outside of wedlock. Waite’s worry is that marriages are statistically more beneficial to the children who are conceived and born with a stable set of parents. The first argument poses a stance that health between a family is of greater quality when the family is complete. That being said, Waite never quite defined what a complete family is, but the term is connotatively a derived of a mother, father, and could possibly consist of children. From the paper, a family is anything inside matrimony. Waite’s first argument for health is that marriage appears to reduce risky and unhealthy behaviors. Marriage will also increases material well-being such as income, assets, or wealth. The last component, which I think is the most beneficial, is moral support. All of these ideals are intricate measures needed for a healthy life-all of which stem and are heightened
EN140
5 September, 2012
Summary
“Marriage Advocate” In Linda J. Waite’s pro-marriage article “Marriage Matters,” she sheds statistical light on the outweighing positive, as well as the negative, aspects of marriage. From her view, there are four outcomes which are directly affected from marriage opposing including: health, wealth, intimacy with your spouse, and, of course, the children. These four topics are the areas most affected (positive or negatively) by living single, married, cohabitating, or rebuilt lifestyles. As a preface, Waite progresses through various statistics fostering today’s pattern of decreased marriages. She states clearly that, “The decline in marriage is directly connected to the rise in cohabitation-living with someone in a sexual relationship without being married.” Statistics showed a vast decrease in marriages between both black and white marriages. This seems to be an epidemic in today’s society providing examples which might reflect people or situations in our lives. Another one, of the many, shocking statistics show that about “one third” of births occur outside of wedlock. Waite’s worry is that marriages are statistically more beneficial to the children who are conceived and born with a stable set of parents. The first argument poses a stance that health between a family is of greater quality when the family is complete. That being said, Waite never quite defined what a complete family is, but the term is connotatively a derived of a mother, father, and could possibly consist of children. From the paper, a family is anything inside matrimony. Waite’s first argument for health is that marriage appears to reduce risky and unhealthy behaviors. Marriage will also increases material well-being such as income, assets, or wealth. The last component, which I think is the most beneficial, is moral support. All of these ideals are intricate measures needed for a healthy life-all of which stem and are heightened