Released: November 18, 2010
The transformative trends of the past 50 years that have led to a sharp decline in marriage and a rise of new family forms have been shaped by attitudes and behaviors that differ by class, age and race, according to a new Pew Research Center nationwide survey, done in association with TIME, complemented by an analysis of demographic and economic data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
A new “marriage gap” in the United States is increasingly aligned with a growing income gap. Marriage, while declining among all groups, remains the norm for adults with a college education and good income but is now markedly less prevalent among those on the lower rungs of the socio-economic ladder. The survey finds that those in this less-advantaged group are as likely as others to want to marry, but they place a higher premium on economic security as a condition for marriage. This is a bar that many may not meet.
The survey also finds striking differences by generation. In 1960, two-thirds (68%) of all twenty-somethings were married. In 2008, just 26% were. How many of today’s youth will eventually marry is an open question. For now, the survey finds that the young are much more inclined than their elders to view cohabitation without marriage and other new family forms "” such as same sex marriage and interracial marriage "” in a positive light.
Even as marriage shrinks, family"” in all its emerging varieties "” remains resilient. The survey finds that Americans have an expansive definition of what constitutes a family. And the vast majority of adults consider their own family to be the most important, most satisfying element of their lives.
Here is a summary of the key findings of the report:
Pages: Prev Next 1 2 3 4 5 6 Report Materials Full Report: Download PDF Interactive: Five Decades of Marriage Trends TIME.com: Marriage: What is it Good for? Table of Contents I. Executive SummaryII. OverviewIII. MarriageIV: FamilyV. ChildrenVI. New Family Types Also of Interest Public Has Split Verdict on Increased Level of Unmarried Motherhood 22% of Americans Have a Relative in a Mixed-Race Marriage Women, Men and the New Economics of Marriage As Marriage and Parenthood Drift Apart, Public Is Concerned about Social Impact The Typical Modern Mother: There Isn't One More On
Family relationships, Marital status, Gender roles, Family roles, Happiness, Working mothers, Marriage, Interracial marriage, Children, Marriage rate, Family structure, Single mothers, Unmarried couples, Household finance, Marital satisfaction, Parent-child relationship, Same-sex couples, Family satisfaction
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