Marriage and Family in the Media - Annotated Bibliography Example

of the ID: Marriage and Family in the Media Part Summary The article which was written by Taryn Hillin, known as “New survey sheds light on what people really want in a spouse”, states the essential qualities which are often searched by a boy or girl before planning to get married. The factors which are judged by women are having a steady job, similar opinions on raising and having children, and similar religious beliefs. On the other hand, men often look for educational background and similar opinion towards living life. The study even said that the major reason behind low marriage rate was the turmoil observed in the labour market. It was difficult for single woman to find single educated man in the society. As per the research survey there is unavailability of men in the target group. The entire study states that one man in every four unmarried adults who are under 35 will remain single even in their 50s (Hillin 1). The article “Decisive Marriage” written by Tara Parker Pope state the ways in which the decision making approach undertaken by couples can have an everlasting impact on relationships. In this article those couples are considered to have better marriages who act decisive before marriages in comparison to those who are just carried through inertia. Intentional decisions are essential in every relationship as it helps to move forward. It is observed that those couples who just slide through their relationships possess marital quality of poorer standard in comparison to those who are actively indulged in making intentional decisions regarding any milestones. There were even data collected by researchers in relation to romantic experiences. The overall survey stated that those individuals who had one sexual partner that turned to be their spouse possessed high quality of marriage compared to those who had more sexual partners. All the collected data have associations with decision making, relationship quality and past experiences (Pope 1). In this article it is even stated that there are various variables which has a direct impact on marriage. The most important lesson which has been highlighted in this article is active decisions should be taken by couples in major life events instead of just drifting from one year to another. The report which was written on “Big Fat Wedding” by Karen Kaplan states that often those couples having a grand wedding are observed to have better lives. The research conducted in this article even state that maximum of the couples across the globe desire to have a big fat wedding. It becomes essential to commit to one another publicly in this grand occasion of wedding. On the other hand presence of many guests adds to social well being of a couple. In this study it is clearly evident that big fat wedding contribute towards success of a marital life. The article even reveals that an individual’s age has no such link with the grand scale of wedding take place. Often it is observed that those weddings which have taken place in small or medium scale has certain problems arising throughout the life span (Kaplan 1). To some extent people consider big fat wedding equivalent to several blessings and on the other hand it can even be considered as a medium to publicize. Part 2: Reflection The article “New survey sheds light on what people really want in a spouse” by Taryn Hillin is selected as the first article for the paper. This article discusses that most of the women look for a husband who would be properly employed in a steady job. On the other hand, the male section of the society is of the view that it is most important to marry a woman with whom a man’s ideas of having and raising children would match (Hillin 1). In my opinion, this article strikes at the right chords of human behaviour. Research shows that men are emotionally more insecure as compared to women in a relationship, especially in a relationship with the opposite gender (Stoop & Stoop 140). This fact is supportive of the views presented in this article. I think that a man looks for stability and security in a marriage and for a man, marriage is the medium for establishing a family with a wife and children. Considering the fact that the global rate of divorce in recent years has increased multiple times, it is obvious that men are looking for marriages which would be lasting. Women also definitely want to enter into a relationship that would be fulfilling as well as long lasting. However, the women of today are more oriented towards security and stability in a marriage. Along with love and companionship, the modern career age women also look for financial stability as financial problems often lead to conflicts and damages in a marriage. In my opinion the underlying requirements of men and women from marriage is different which makes the characteristics that they want in their spouses also significantly distinct. Nevertheless, I think having a stable job is not the foremost criteria while looking for a husband among all women. Instead, the characteristics like the nature of the person, the similarity in moral and religion related views, educational background and similarity in the ways of looking at life and family are critical characteristics that are to be considered while choosing a life partner. The second article chosen for the paper is “The Decisive Marriage” written by Tara Parker Pope. As per this article, the marriages which are led by decisive actions and behaviour are often more fulfilling and long lasting than the marriages which are led by in the moment inertia and indecisiveness. In my opinion, taking decisions is a key part of life. Therefore, being decisive is also highly important in marriage because marriage is a major subset of life. I agree with the views of the author that talking to the partner regarding any issue and taking major decisions in a collaborative manner is the guide to a healthy marital relationship (Pope 1). As per my view, the marital quality of a couple can be highly influenced by the way they handle their life events which includes both day to day activities as well as milestones in the relationship. I think taking a justified view and evaluating the pros and cons of any action is important to enhance the marital quality of the relationship. I agree with the author that the past experiences of the two people involved in the marriage and their decision making capabilities may have profound impacts on the quality of their marital life. However, I differ to the view of the author that the couples who are married through a grand wedding are likely to have better marital relationship quality. As per my judgement, the memories of the grand wedding may be a motivator for the couple to keep their relationship alive. However, there are more significant factors when it comes to a long lasting and high quality marital relationship. Therefore, I agree to the view of the author that taking decisions by consulting each other in a relationship is important but I differ in the view that a large scale wedding would be the key to a successful marriage. In my belief, whereas making decision by consulting each other is a necessity for a good quality marriage, factors like grand wedding are secondary influencers of marital quality. The view that there are a number of variables which can make or break the marriages in the modern world is a practical view. The idea of having other options for marriage, the changes in views of the global societies towards marriage and divorces and the increasing importance of the external factors like finances, lifestyle, personal desires and social circle are key variables that influence a marital relationship. The third article discussed in this paper is “Study: To boost your odds of a successful marriage, have a big wedding” written by Karen Kaplan. This article discusses that researches have shown that people who have a grand wedding with at least 150 people invited in the venue tend to have a long lasting marriage. The author is of the opinion that getting married through a public celebration is the sign of displaying the commitment towards each other publicly which later adds value to the social side of the marital relationship. This also adds to the level of security and also acts as a catalyst in creating a harmonious, cooperative, fulfilling and long lasting marriage. Also, the article says that people who have lesser number of sexual relations before marriage are likely to have a better quality of marriage. The author writes that the people who have been in more than one relationship before their marriage seem to form an idea of the availability of alternatives which makes them less oriented towards long term commitment to their partners. Also, people who have experienced heartbreaks in the past tend to have a jeopardized view of love and relationships due to their bitter experiences and hence, show lower levels of emotional involvement in marriage. In such situations, the satisfaction level of the couple from their relationship is also likely to be reduced. I agree to the view of the article that the choices of both men and women made before the wedding vows often impact the relationship in the later years. I think the view that the prior experiences of human beings with respect to love, relationships and children have notable influences on the quality, tenure as well as the overall experiences of their married life. Works cited Hillin, Taryn. New Survey Sheds Light on What People Really Want In A Spouse. 25 August. 2014. Web. 2014. Stoop, David. & Jan Stoop. The Complete Marriage Book: Collected Wisdom from Leading Marriage Experts. Lanchester: Revell. 2002. Print. Kaplan, Karen. Study: To boost your odds of a successful marriage, have a big wedding. 20th August. Web. 2014. . Pope, Tara Parker. The Decisive Marriage. 25 September. Web. 2014. . Read More