Team Discussion on The Mar - Essay Example

Marriage and Modernization By Yuliya Lewins article had an interesting statistic showing the Canadian citizens tendency to enter cohabitation or common-law marriages more frequently than the traditional marriage arrangement. The reason: Speculative assessments citing that it may be due to a rejection or abandonment of age-old pressures stemming from traditional Catholicism (Lewin, 2004). This is interesting to the study of sociology, as we always talk about the different sociological variables, and in this case, religious beliefs or obstinance against Catholic doctrine makes Canadian common-law statistics illustrating a shift in social and cultural beliefs on marriage.

Murphy-Geiss cites that modernization has contributed to increases in poverty for women and children across the world and that traditional religious beliefs have played a factor in cultural shifts regarding marriage. Similar to Lewins article, it points out how modernization and globalization have essentially caused conflict between modern views on gender equality and the traditional views inspired by religious doctrine. I do, indeed, believe that globalization affect marriages, in many instances due to distorted value systems.

For instance, companies use marketing tactics to emphasize the importance of product consumption as a means of enhancing lifestyle (Boone & Kurtz, 2006). As couples live in commercial and Westernized nations, they each will likely adopt their own values about material possessions. One partner may find them important, where another does not. This can cause problems with finance or frustrations over not having enough "things" to satisfy their desires. When commercialism and marketing (as outcomes of modernization) begin to impact the marriage, the health of the union is threatened.

Several attempts to access the "dinosaur" quiz met with failure as the link was not available for access. However, the other quiz indicated that I barely had an average knowledge of marital statistics (The Case for Marriage Quiz). Also, I would have never guessed that only 9 percent of intimate violence against women was caused by husbands, as the media often says that spousal abuses in the form of sexual assaults, as one example, are often caused by the husband or boyfriend. I think this is a great statistic in terms of securing the future of the husband and wife relationship, as only 9 percent of violence in these marriages suggests that women will not necessarily be victims of husband aggression.

The source of the data is extremely important in sociological research, as one must consider the credentials of the person conducting or reporting the study, how reliable the research instruments used actually were, and whether any factors contributed to influencing the results of those who provided answers to various surveys or experiments. For instance, if a college freshman conducted a study about male violence patterns, choosing to administer the questionnaire during a fraternity party where liquor is served, a sociologist should seriously question whether the returned results could be considered accurate and engaging data.

It seems that the creator of the marriage quiz is in support of the marriage, rather than simply listing a series of statistics for review. When the creators of these types of quizzes promote marriage, it can engrain the notion that marriage is always a positive situation, creating bias in the test-taker or researcher. One of the main benefits of marriage is increased security in knowing that you will have a partner willing to provide for and support you during your lifetime. The bonds of marriage and with children can create a happy, well-adjusted lifestyle.

A drawback involves loss of personal freedoms, often in terms of exploring personal activities. For instance, we often see (in the media) the husband carrying his bowling ball for a night out with the boys, and his wife with the rolling pin trying to stop him from leaving. Marriages seem to detract from self-centered hobby fulfillment, causing strain on the relationship. Many members of the team have different (some similar) perspectives on marriage. I think we all agree that the benefit is a long-term partner to help you through lifes joys and obstacles.

The largest difference in the teams differing viewpoints is likely due to gender, as men and women likely carry different viewpoints on love, equality, acceptable marital activities, etc. The future of marriage is somewhat uncertain, however Henslin (2003) suggests that with modernization and changing social values, the traditional marriage is, and likely will be, being replaced with increased cohabitation and the common-law state. I tend to agree, as where once it was acceptable to marry early without exploring other potential partners with common interests, people are exploring their options in order to find a more perfect, suitable match.

Hence, I think we will be seeing marriages begin when people are much older, such as their early 30s, instead of the union between two 20-year-olds. Once career goals are established, their maturity levels reach an acceptable point, and the individual has sewn their proverbial wild oats, notions of marriage will be stronger and longer-lasting. References:Lewin, Ellen. (2004). Does Marriage Have a Future? Journal of Marriage and Family. Minneapolis: 66(4): 1000-1007. Retrieved October 1, 2007 from http://proquest.umi.com.

libraryproxy.cardean.edu/pqdweb?did=725442601&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=46656&RQT=309&VName=PQD&cfc=1Murphy-Geiss, Gail E. (2004). Marriage and Modernization: How Globalization Threatens Marriage and What to do about it. Journal of Marriage and Family. 66(2): 545-547. Retrieved October 1, 2007 from http://proquest.umi.com.libraryproxy.cardean.edu/pqdweb?did=637975091&sid=3&Fmt=3&clientId=46656&RQT=309&VName=PQDBoone, D. & Kurtz, A. (2006). Contemporary Marketing. 12th ed. McGraw Hill Irwin.The Case for Marriage Quiz. (nd). Retrieved October 1, 2007 from http://www.

smartmarriage.com/case.for.marriage.quiz.htmlHenslin, James M. (2003). Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach. 6th ed. A & B Publishing Boston. APPENDIX AHow Much Do You Know About Marriage? "Take The Case for Marriage" Quiz1. Between 1979 and 1987, according to Justice Department statistics, whatproportion of intimate violence against women was committed by husbands?a. 1 percentb. About halfc. Less than ten percentd. One-third.2. On average, how much more likely is a single woman to die than a marriedwoman of the same age.a. 50 percentb.

0 percentc. 200 percentd. 10 percent3. How many years does a parents divorce knock off the life expectancy oftheir children, according to a study of a gifted, white, middle class sample.a. Nothing. The apparent effects of marriage are really due to incomeb. 6 months.c. 4 years.d. 2 years4. True or False. Husbands make more money than bachelors, but marriagereduces a womens earnings.5. True or False.  More married people cheat than couples who live together6. True or False. Marriage makes men happier, but women more depressed.7. True or False.

Single people are more likely to be "very happy" thanmarried people.8. True or false. Single mothers usually develop unusually closerelationships with their children..Scoring:Three to Five: Average Knowledge. Read the book to Find out more