Deinstitutionalization Of American Marriage Essay

Deinstitutionalization of American Marriages

Immigration is the process by which people move from their countries of origin and settle in new countries either as citizens or permanent residents. Most migration occurs from less developed or unstable nations to developed or stable countries. Individuals immigrate for a variety of reasons: for better economic opportunities in the new states, to be closer to friends and family, to escape political persecution and unrest.

Immigration is analyzed in the context of pull and push factors. Pull factors are found in the host country and cause the immigrants to want to settle in that country on the other push factors are in the original region and create the immigrant to want to leave. Pull factors include: safety, political stability, freedom, higher salary, improved job opportunities, availability of food, safe environment, the reunification of the family, enhanced quality of life and availability of social services. Push factors include political persecution, war, violence, reduced income, minimal economic opportunities, famine, natural disasters, separation of families,

and inadequate social services. Despite the pull factors associated with immigration, the process of settling in a new country also comes with its challenges.
Immigration faces numerous challenges including navigation of the legal system, navigation of a new country, language barrier, getting suitable employment, parenting challenges and cultural challenges. Cultural problems because individuals encounter a clash of two cultures, their original culture and the culture of their adopted country. An individual is therefore caught in between the two, practices which may be acceptable in one’s religion, maybe abhorred in the new country’s culture and vice versa. Marriage is a cultural practice, how it’s conducted its boundaries expectations and culture determines stakeholder's involvement. The paper will analyze the deinstitutionalization of American marriage, steps in the deinstitutionalization, the contributory factors, and the current context.
Deinstitutionalization of marriage
Deinstitutionalization of marriage refers to the weakening power of societal expectations and rules that govern the marriage institution. Societal laws that initially governed marriage and family life are losing their grip on individual choice. A shared understanding of the functioning of institutions of marriage does not exist, and individuals must rely on themselves to make choices and decisions. Personal preference in the institution of marriage is a process characterized by conflicts and opportunities. Deinstitutionalization of marriage has seen the transformation of marriage from institutional marriage to companionate marriage to individualized marriage. To reach here, the marriage institution has undergone a metamorphosis of some sorts. In the 1950s marriage the only way to have a family, and cohabitation was almost never unheard of. Family roles were segregated by gender with men as breadwinners and women as homemakers; both genders played the role of parenting.
By 1960s and 1970s transition occurred, and other forms of marriage were replacing companionate families. Individualized marriages came into play, both husband and wife had jobs outside the home, husband and wife roles were not fixed and could be negotiated. Individuals focused on self-development, personal feelings more than satisfaction from having a family with distinct characters of husband, wife, and parents. In the current context of personal marriage choice and individual development are the forefront of marital objectives. Individuals have a lot of freedom of choice on how to define their marriage, marriage has expanded from male-female marriages to include same-sex unions, cohabitation, single, divorcees, remarrying and all these are currently socially acceptable. Currently, people are focused on individual fulfillment rather than fulfilling societal roles such as raising a family, being a supportive spouse. Divorce rates increased as individuals sought to leave marriages which they felt were not meeting their individual needs. Further statistics have reported the following changes essential to note.
Marriage rates have dropped, common law unions are on the increase, Divorce Act was enacted in 1968, and this has seen a rise in divorce rates, there has been an increased rate of remarriages, some single parents especially divorced parents have raised. Teen pregnancies and teenage abortions have also increased. Statistics reported above can be attributed to the changes that have occurred in the marriage institution over time. Next, we look at the reasons why the deinstitutionalization of marriage is happening and the factors that have contributed.
Factors contributing to the deinstitutionalization of marriage
Institutionalized marriages have been undermined by the changing roles of man and woman in the marriage.

Initially, both were fulfilling roles and expectations that had been prescribed by society. Over the years roles have changed with both men and women working outside the home, this meant that distinct parts of men (breadwinner) and women (homemaker) are fading. Also, goals of the family have shifted to meeting individual needs rather than joint family needs. Individuals decide then how to fit into family roles with no specific prescribed family roles. In addition to personal goals, as stated before there has been an increase in some children born out of a marital setup. Childbirth outside marriage has continued to increase in both US and European countries. Cohabitation is also a factor that has been associated with deinstitutionalization of

marriage.
Cohabitation was initially associated with needy families and was not expected to constitute a family set up with children. Cohabitation in recent times has especially become prevalent in stepfamilies. Stepfamilies seem to be opting for cohabitation rather than marriage. Among low-income populations, a woman may have a child with one partner, cohabit with a different partner, the picture is that of a stepfamily without the marriage process. In the process, the couple may marry creating a first marriage with stepchildren. Cohabitation is, therefore, becoming an accepted alternative to weddings. Countries in America and Europe are at different stages of acceptance of coexistence as part of the system. Some countries like Canada and US (in some states) have gone to the extent of granting some rights to cohabiting partners that were exclusively enjoyed by married people. In addition to cohabitation, another emerging factor was the issue of same-sex marriages.
Legality of same-sex marriages has been questioned time and again. In the US same-sex marriages are legal in some states and illegal in some states. Activists continue to press for legalization of same-sex marriages in US, Canada, and European countries. Lesbian and gay couples who chose to marry are doing so without the support of institutions and must navigate their way through the world. Family in same-sex marriages is based on their definitions, which is not the standard definition of family (relationship through biology or law or marriage). Roles depend on who works outside the home, how many hours are accomplished and the primary breadwinner. Since the legal status of this union is still under debate, the onus remains on the two partners to define roles and the general workings of the marriage.
Transitions in Marriage Meaning
Marriage meaning has transitioned from institutionalized to companionate to own marriages. Factors associated with these changes include the changing labor roles of both genders, increased number of children born out of wedlock, cohabitation, and same-sex marriages. Cultural trends that changed the meaning of marriage include a renewed emphasis on emotional needs and romantic love in the 20th century, followed by individuals need to express themselves in the context of the marriage setup. The individual expression became a critical driving force in marriage. Apart from cultural factors material factors also played a role in the transition of marriage meaning. Material factors include the decline of agricultural based labor, increased wage-based employment, the reduction in mortality rates of adults and children, heightened standard of living and the increased transition of women from being homemakers into the paid workforce. Historical occurrences such as the Great Depression and World War 2 also contributed to the changes in the marriage institution.
Initially, marriage was the only socially acceptable way to have a sexual relationship and bear children. The gradual acceptance of another form of sexual relations and having children (children born out of wedlock) enabled the transition of marriage from a companionate institution to an individualized institution. Currently, many forms of the marriage institution acceptable to society exist. Individuals are not constricted to one choice but are allowed a latitude of choice including when to marry, who to marry and how to marry. One may cohabit and have children with the cohabiting partner. In addition to these same-sex partners may live together even in places where such marriages are not legal. Secondly, individuals are more focused on individual satisfaction and goals than meeting societal expectations associated with marriage. Societal objectives related to marriage have been on the decline, resulting in the gradual deinstitutionalization of marriage, with the personal choice the critical driver of current marriage setup
Marriage has been deinstitutionalized and has gone through a transition from institutional marriage to companionate marriage to own wedding. Development through these stages has been characterized by changing definitions, changing roles, changing expectations and changing marital structures. Cultural, material and historical perspectives have influenced changes, some of these changes include cohabitation, same-sex marriages, divorce, remarriages and single parent families. Despite the new emerging options of not marrying but still accessing the benefits of marriage individuals always opt to marry.
Individuals marry because marriage is a public commitment to one's partner in comparison to cohabitation which is a private arrangement. Private arrangements like cohabitation are more accessible to break compared to federal obligations like formal weddings. Marriage allows individuals to invest knowing that they are legally protected should anything happen. Despite this difference in cohabiting and friendship, in some jurisdictions laws are being passed that allow cohabiting individuals to have the same rights and benefits as married couples. Through the transitions marriage has become more of a symbolic status than a rite of life, its position in the life spectrum has also shifted. Marriage, despite the changes through the centuries, still holds relevance in the society today, even though differences exist from the original version.