Marriage Dips Into the Minority

By Althea Thompson, 10.25.06

Married couples are now in the minority according to an analysis of census figures by the “The New York Times.”

Only 49 percent of the households in the U.S. are made up of married couples. This figure is down from over 52 percent just five years ago Census Bureau surveys showed.

“It’s now no longer taboo, no longer the scarlet letter, that you’re not married,” said Dr. Arlene Brown, Assistant Professor of Counseling at Regent University. “In past history if a woman didn’t get married by the time she was 30 to 35 she was labeled an old maid. Those stigmas have been removed,”

Brown said today many women are applauded for being successful without a man and this has attributed to a delay in marriage.

“The individuals who are waiting are waiting because they’re trying to secure a career,” Brown said. “I think it’s good that individuals are waiting to get married later in life because they’re more mature, more settled and they know what they want out of life.”

In the process of waiting to be married, many couples are deciding to live together first. Brown says they choose to do this because couples think they need to test the waters.

“We have become a very disposable society,” Brown said. “If something doesn’t suit me, then I just cast it aside and look for another one.” She says marriage demands commitment that some couples would rather not deal with.

“They’ve taken the whole concept of what marriage was meant in the eyes of God and said this is just another commodity that I can either choose to have or not have,” Brown said.

However, many practical factors have led to this rise in unmarried couples living together.

“A number of couples interviewed agreed that cohabitating was akin to taking a test drive and, and given the scarcity of affordable apartments and homes, it’s also a matter of convenience,” wrote Sam Roberts in a “New York Times” online article.

“Owning three toothbrushes and finding that they are always at the wrong house when you are getting ready to go to bed wears on you,” said Amanda Hawn, who lives with her boyfriend near San Francisco. “Moving in together has simplified life.”

Another factor is that for some women, having children is no longer a priority early on in life.

“Now one of the major reasons to get married is to have children, and the attractiveness of having children has declined for many people because of the cost,” said Andrew A. Beveridge who conducted the census analysis for “The New York Times”.

However, Dr. Brown speculated that women are not as interested in having children because life expectancy has increased.

“Women can now have children later in life, so people are putting that off,” she said. “People got married for procreation long ago.”

Likewise, entering the workforce and realizing they can have financial success without someone taking care of them has created change according to Dr. Brown. Aside from the practical benefits of cohabitating, there are consequences.

“What I have noticed is if they live together more than a year, most likely they’re not going to get married,” Brown said.

Brown blames this trend to forego marriage on the idea of there being something better.

“Our society tells people, ‘Don’t settle,” Brown said.

Though the majority of people in the U.S. are now choosing not to settle in a committed marriage relationship, Brown feels positively about the future of marriage.

“I think there’s still hope for marriage. I think marriage is not dead”, Brown said. “People are just putting it off.