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Sunday, October 27, 2013

An increasingly rare sight

All dressed up with no place to go!

My son is 23 years of age. When I was his age I had married and we had two children and I was seperated. To my parents that was a real disgrace because in those days when someone in the family divorced or seperated it brought real shame upon the entire family. No longer, as it is so common. That is part of the problem, because in the United States just about every one in two first-time marriages end in divorce, and for second marriages the figure is two out of every three.

With advancements to the status of women and their independence they are not generally disposed towards patience. The least little thing and they are off with the statement, "well, if that's how you feel!" Everything that has been built up in that marriage usually goes to the woman, so, of course, men have become fed up. Men are simply staying away from marriage since the whole institution seems to be doomed.

The other reason that couples around the world are not entering into formal committments is one of the depressed economy. Young men, in particular are finding it very tough going to simply get a job, any job, let alone a career of their choice. To take on the challenge of starting a family is unthinkable. This all leads to the Disestablishment of marriage.

Sociologist, Phillip Cohen of The University of Maryland notes that in 1920, ninety-two of every 1000 single women married at an early age. In 2012 that figure had dropped to only 31. Of those who are getting married the average age for women is now 27, and for men it is 29. These averages are the highest for 100 years. However, there is a rising trend in that a third of women who are well over 30 wait to marry, and that figure is 40% for men. 
The move away from marriage has been a very quiet trend. I noticed that it was happening in my own extended family and those of friends. However, it does seem to be mutual as young women are in no more of a rush to the altar than young men.

A great many people refuse to believe that there is any such thing as evolution, but when it is happening in front of one's own eyes it may be difficult to deny.

Copyright (c) 2013  Eugene Carmichael