Marriage can be defined as an institution in which two people engage themselves for the rest of their lives. Many people think that in today’s society, the marriage institution is in decline nowadays. This may be because people no longer believe in marriage. There are also a lot of factors contributing to the decline of this particular institution. But is marriage really in decline in today’s society?
One of the factors for which we can say that marriage is in decline today is the rise in divorce rate. This has caused people to no longer believe in marriage and has also liberated people in the way that they can easily end their marriage. Nowadays’ generation are not afraid of the social consequences of divorce when they seek a legal end to an unhappy marriage. Also ,the costs of getting a divorce have reduced drastically and changes in the divorce law has meant that there are equal rights for men and women as it no longer hinders their careers.
However, the reduced social stigma and more sympathetic public attitudes that is, society no longer disapprove of divorcees have meant that people are more likely to end unhappy marriages because marriages today are based on love and companionship rather than on the customs and get financial dependence. In this way, people get divorced to remarry someone they approve of. This shows that they are not rejecting marriage as an institution but only a particular marriage partner. People divorce nowadays hoping to turn an empty shell marriage that is an unhappy marriage into a happy new one. Marriages that exist today are way happier and stronger than ever as unhappy ones are easily ended by divorce.
Another factor that shows marriage is a declining institution is the rise in lone parent families. Developing technology has meant that there is improved contraception, easier and safer access to abortion. Also, women nowadays have greater economic