Sociologist Finds Marriage Increasingly Limited to Educated, Affluent
by Chris Carroll and Liam Farrell | Photo by iStock
Divorce rates are falling and will drop even further as marriage becomes an increasingly elite institution, a University of Maryland sociologist says in a new report.
Marriages are becoming “more selective, and more stable” for people under age 45, despite increasingly permissive societal attitudes toward divorce, according to Philip Cohen, professor of sociology.
“People are getting married later and are getting married after they finish college,” he said in an interview with Terp. “It’s this idea of delaying marriage until you have a more stable economic situation and a more stable romantic relationship.”
His analysis of U.S. Census data from 2008 to 2016 showed that it’s not just a matter of age: While overall divorce rates dropped 18 percent, there was still an 8 percent drop even when findings are corrected for rising average age at time of marriage.
While divorce declined across the board, college educated couples saw the biggest drop. Meanwhile, other studies have shown that marriage rates have plunged for less educated, less affluent Americans, who face barriers to family stability, including personal debt and job insecurity.
Cohen’s paper concludes that marriage is becoming an increasing component of social inequity.
“It’s not really a good news story for the whole society,” Cohen said.
3 Comments
This article fails to show any real “dark side” to a decrease in marriage rates. Frankly, I’m very disappointed in the UMD for publishing such a conclusion without any supportive data for the negatives. Currently it is strongly supported that children growing up in 2 parent homes, are going to live in a more affluent environment (2 incomes are better than one), social mobility rates are higher for children from married families compared to those with divorce or with periods of single parenthood. In fact the Brookings Intitute states that “a child born to a mother in the bottom 5th of family income is 3 times more likely to remain in the bottom 5th of family income than a child born to a continuously married mother.” Children from 2 parent homes tend to do better in school, are less likely to live in poverty, and are more likely to be more socially mobile than children from single parent or divorced couples. It appears to me that the only dark side to a decrease in divorce is that affluent people are a greater percentage of beneficiaries. But they are not the only beneficiaries. Of course this is not because of a government program or public policy, but because of the choices they are making. Perhaps because the more affluent statistically tend to be more educated, and maybe some have experience with divorce growing up, they are more aware of the benefits of a continuous marriage. I have trouble seeing the “dark side” of this marriage trend from a perspective that all families and in particular children regardless of their economic situation tend to benefit from a dropping divorce rate. The fact that there is a disparity should not be troubling because any decrease is a public benefit at all economic levels. The only way I can see this as a “dark side” is if the individual making the conclusion has an expectation of equal outcomes. Unfortunately there are no scientific or social studies that support equality of outcomes. The only support for equality of outcomes will come from ideology. I think instead of looking at this trend as a “dark side” we should educate people lower on the social and economic ladders of the importance of a continuous marriage and the direct influence it can have on the outcomes for their children. Again folks! There is no dark side to the decrease in divorce rates unless you believe in an ideology where everyone, regardless of the choices they make, should receive the same benefits. Maybe the idea of supporting marriage smacks of religion, and that also runs counter to an ideological view that disparriages such notions. The facts are clear that there is wisdom in the principle that marriage is important. Remaining continously married benefits children, and a society with less children living in poverty and with a greater ability to move socially upward will be a better society.
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