Deinstitutionalization Of Marriage Essay

The increasing numbers of couples choosing cohabitation over marriage may seem like the institution of marriage is falling apart and that many people today no longer understand the rules and assumptions of marriage. As I read the article “The Deinstitutionalization of Marriage Revisited: A New Institutional Approach to Marriage” by Sean Lauer and Carrie Yodanis, I learned that the approach to an alternative is not necessarily the deinstitutionalization of marriage itself as much as the discrimination present in the institution of marriage that prohibits the entrance of some individuals that are unable to meet the requirements to marry even if they wanted to. However, I go on to argue that marriage as an institution that promises social security

This is problematic because marriage is based on mutual support beyond economic means. If being financially stable is used as the primary requirement for marriage, then marriage would provide some form of stability but the neglect on the importance of emotional support in a bond between two individuals. I remember when I was child, I learned in my early schooling that marriage as a social unit was one of care and support. However, as I grew up, I began to understand that marriage was not something that could be taken at face value as I first imagined. I soon realized that marriage could potentially break apart due to what society has considered marriage to be - an economic unit. I have seen many forms of marriage and I understand that it could potentially go beyond economic factors if individuals are willing to let go of the institutional constraints. Second, “policies of state and federal governments... provide married couples access to rights denied to the