Relationship Between Marrying Later and Marital Stability - Research Paper Example

Part one: Topic An increasing number of people are delaying marriage, whether they are cohabitating or not (Schneider, 2011, p.627). The topic that needs to be answered is determining the relationship between marrying later and marital dissolution for first marriages and understanding the factors that impact successful marriages. Furthermore, the paper has the objective of determining how certain factors affect the happiness of marriage in general. It believes that certain individual and relationship factors that are present in married people, especially when they marry later, can affect the stability of their marriages, although this paper recognizes that marriage stability may or may not always be linked with happiness or quality of marriage, as well as age at marriage. Literature Review Studies showed that people who marry later in life tend to stay married than people who marry during their teens, although compatibility, education, and economic factors shape the stability of marriage for both groups. The ideal age of marriage is in early (Glenn, Uecker, & Love, 2010) to late twenties (Lehrer, 2008), although people who marry later can also have stable marriages (Glenn et al., 2010; Teachman, 1983). Teenage marriage has higher dissolution rates than older people who get married, although teenage childbirth is not strongly correlated with marital dissolution (Moore & Waite, 1981; Witt et al., 1987). Educational level (Heaton, 2002; South, 1995), socio-economic status of women before and during marriage (Martin, 2006), and perceptions of role consensus and quality of spouse role enactment (Bahr, Chappell, & Leigh, 1983) impact marital stability, whether people marry early or not (Martin, 2006). Because compatibility is critical to marriage stability (South, 1995), marrying earlier is not always strongly correlated to higher marital dissolution, except when it interfered with educational and/or employment opportunities for women, since women are still the typical gender burdened with childcare and household responsibilities (South, 1995). Hypothesis The main hypothesis is that people, who marry later, specifically from their early to late twenties, tend to have higher marriage stability than teenage marriages. Other mediating factors can exist to ensure the strength and duration of marriages for older people, such as race, religion, education, compatibility, and socio-economic conditions, but only the last three were emphasized. The socio-economic factors include the socio-economic class of women before they got married and the combined class status of the marriage couple, where middle-class and upper-class families tend to have more stable marriages than the working-class and poor families. Furthermore, this paper believes that people who are compatible and have at least middle-class status tend to have stable marriages that are based on quality of relationship. Research design Data was collected through survey (n=10) and face-to-face interviews (n=6), as well as secondary research, so that triangulation of data collection and analysis can be performed. The sampling strategy was convenience and snowball strategy, where couples who are initially known to the student were asked to participate in surveys and interviews and they were asked to refer the student to other couples they know who are either married early or later in life, whether they are divorced or not. The survey included demographics and questions on compatibility, while the interviews were done for the same sampling where selection was performed through drawing lots; interview questions verified compatibility. The researcher exerted effort in equalizing the number of early marriage and later marriage for both sampling and interview methods, and tried to do research in an extensive manner through consulting Google Scholar and EBSCO databases. Analysis The survey sampling included five couples who married in their mid-twenties and beyond and five who married during their teenage years, while interviews included three couples who married in their twenties or thirties and three who married during their teenage years. Based on ten surveys and five interviews, people who marry in their twenties and older (survey n=5 and interview n=2) have lower marriage dissolution rates than people who married when they were teenagers (survey n=5 and marriage n=2). People who married later have higher educational status (n=5) and belong to the middle-class (n=4) than those who married earlier, and people who married later said that they compatible (n=5) more than those who married earlier (n=2), and these results confirm the hypothesis. The findings confirm the review of literature that shows that people who marry in their twenties and higher tend to have marriages that last than those who marry during their teenage years (Glenn et al., 2010; Lehrer, 2008; Teachman, 1983; Witt et al., 1987), although compatibility, education, and economic factors affect marriage stability too, among other factors (Glenn et al., 2010; Lehrer, 2008; Teachman, 1983; Witt et al., 1987) Conclusion After conducting primary and secondary research, the study provided some evidence that marrying later can predict marriage stability. Age at marriage is a significant factor in affecting marriage dissolution, although the study did not fully capture the explanation behind this social phenomenon. The possibilities of having enough emotional, social, and sexual maturity and economic stability are some of the unique factors that are present for people who marry later, which are not frequently present for teenagers who get married. References Bahr, S.J., Chappell, C.B., & Leigh, G.K. (1983). Age at marriage, role enactment, role consensus, and marital satisfaction. Journal of Marriage and Family, 45(4), 795-803. Glenn, N.D., Uecker, J.E., & Love, R.W.B. (2010). Later first marriage and marital success. Social Science Research, 39(5), 787-800. Heaton, T.B. (2002). Factors contributing to increasing marital stability in the US. Journal of Family Issues, 23(3), 392-409. Lehrer, E. (2008). Age at marriage and marital instability: Revisiting the Becker-Landes-Michael hypothesis. Journal of Population Economics, 21(2), 463-484. Martin, S.P. (2006, December 13). Trends in marital dissolution by women's education in the United States. Demographic Research, 15, 537-559. Moore, K.A., & Waite, L.J. (1981). Marital dissolution, early motherhood and early marriage. Social Forces, 60(1), 20-40. Schneider, D. (2011). Wealth and the marital divide. American Journal of Sociology, 117(2), 627-667. South, S.J. (1995). Do you need to shop around? Age at marriage, spousal alternatives, and marital dissolution. Journal of Family Issues, 16(4), 432-449. Teachman, J.D. (1983). Early marriage, premarital fertility, and marital dissolution: Results for blacks and whites. Journal of Family Issues March, 4(1), 105-126. Witt, D.D., Davidson, B., Sollie, D.L., Lowe, G.D., & Peek, C.W. (1987). The consequences of early marriage on marital dissolution. Sociological Spectrum: The Official Journal Of The Mid-South Sociological Association, 7(3), 191-207. Part two: Analyzing the Selection for the Social Topic The ways of knowing can help understand social patterns and phenomena (Schutt, 2012, p.5). One of the emerging social patterns for the past two decades is delaying marriage, where an increasing number of people are choosing to marry at their late twenties and beyond (Schneider, 2011, p.627). On September 13, 2012, the class went over the ways of knowing and this inspired me to know about marriage patterns and their potential implications for the social fabric. I chose the social issue of marrying later and its effect on marital stability because I am concerned that some people marry too early without understanding the preparation needed before people get married, and the resources, knowledge, and skills that are critical to lasting marriages, especially when children are already involved. Specifically, I am concerned if I can prove the hypothesis that marrying later is connected with marital stability, so that this knowledge can help teenagers and adults make the right marriage decision. I examined the variables of age at marriage and marriage stability. The independent variable is age at marriage, while the dependent variable is marriage stability. These factors are considered as mediating variables: education, compatibility, and socio-economic conditions. I wanted to understand more the underlying reasons for happy marriages per se and for those who marry later, although I was not able to do enough research on this issue. I was just able to make inferences on how older people tend to have more mature emotional and psychological skills, higher education, and better socio-economic conditions, and so they tend to chose more correctly the right partner and the right time for marriage, which is often later than earlier (Moore, & Waite, 1981, p.37). The social significance of the topic derives from its ability to increase knowledge and for that knowledge to be used to enhance social relationships, which can improve the general welfare of society. My target audiences are teenagers and adults, who are considering marriages, as well as parents, so that they can educate their children about the benefits of marrying later than in teenage years. The main reason for pursuing science is to improve the accuracy and validity of collecting and establishing data and information that can result to public knowledge (Schutt, 2012, p.5), and I also aim to use science to inform the public and to help them make better decisions regarding marriage. Social science uses the scientific method in studying individuals, societies, and social processes (Schutt, 2012, p.5). The personal motivation for this research is based on the desire to understand the reasons for marrying later and its protective effects through the scientific method (Schutt, 2012, p.11). The scientific method provides a logical way of collecting and analyzing data, which will improve the credibility of my study to my target audiences. One of the e-mails sent to me regarding class lectures concerns the sociological imagination. Kornblum, in the video clip “Role of Sociological Imagination: Parades,” defines sociological imagination as the ability to see people in the context of their social world, so that individual biographies and the fate of whole societies can be better understood, because society affects individual lives (as cited in desoriente0, 2010). In the lecture on 30 August 2012, the class talked about C. Wright Mills and his ideas on sociological imagination. Mills differentiated social patterns as something can that can be empirically proven, while stereotypes are based on overgeneralizations about people and their groups and societies. For this topic, marrying late reflects the existing social and cultural beliefs and attitudes of people regarding the institutions of marriage and family. People who marry later tend to see marriage as a critical life-altering decision that requires financial, social, and emotional preparations. Sociological imagination will then be integrated to this study through finding out social patterns from individual and collective data. On September 13, 2012, the class discussed the basic ways of knowing and they are experience, traditions, social expectations, formal training, and research. For this paper, the chosen way of knowing is through primary and secondary research. In the syllabus, several paradigms are mentioned. Auguste Comte, also called the “Father of Sociology,” proposed that science is based on an objective reality that can be observed. For this study, the social reality is known not only through the objective reality, but the subjective experiences of the people involved. One of the e-mails sent to me also explained the research process, specifically the research methodology. Since I wanted to integrate sociological imagination into my study, I selected data collection methods that obtained both individual and collective data. To collect social data, secondary research was conducted, while to enrich the analysis, primary research was done through interviews and surveys. Some of the challenges that concerned me are designing the research and analyzing the data. The ways of knowing impact how knowledge is gathered and understood, and some of the difficult questions for me are the determination of the best methods and analysis to know what is to known, where knowledge is based on valid facts. In my opinion, validity is not only what can be measured, but what involved groups also felt and thought about. On September 13, 2012, the class discussed the concepts of paradigm, context, theory, epistemology, and methodology. These concepts impact how sociologists gather and analyze information about social patterns. For this paper, the paradigm combines positivist and symbolic interactionist paradigms. The outcome is both subjective and objective data combined, which tend to be harder to analyze and interpret because of the complications in integrating different areas of analysis without sacrificing the objectivity of interpretation and conclusions. On September 13, 2012, the class studied ways of knowing, which can be connected to contextual analysis. The challenge of analyzing the relationship of the context to the findings is also difficult. Qualitative research can delve into contextual factors further. Thus, further research can resolve the analysis and design questions that were met for this research. References Bahr, S.J., Chappell, C.B., & Leigh, G.K. (1983). Age at marriage, role enactment, role consensus, and marital satisfaction. Journal of Marriage and Family, 45(4), 795-803. desoriente0. (2010, September 11). Role of sociological imagination: Parades [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BWN3XmAXhs&feature=youtu.be Dribe, M., & Lundh, C. (2011). Cultural dissimilarity and intermarriage: A longitudinal study of immigrants in Sweden 1990-2005. International Migration Review, 45(2), 297-324. Ehrhard, E. (2012). A case for later marriage. First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion & Public Life, (219), 21-22. Fillion, K. (2009). Marrying late. Chatelaine, 82(10), 93-98. Glenn, N.D., Uecker, J.E., & Love, R.W.B. (2010). Later first marriage and marital success. Social Science Research, 39(5), 787-800. Heaton, T.B. (2002). Factors contributing to increasing marital stability in the US. Journal of Family Issues, 23(3), 392-409. Lehrer, E. (2008). Age at marriage and marital instability: Revisiting the Becker-Landes-Michael hypothesis. Journal of Population Economics, 21(2), 463-484. Mahay, J. (2003). What a difference a year makes: Age and the desire to marry. American Sociological Association 2003 Conference, Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, 1-34. Martin, S.P. (2006, December 13). Trends in marital dissolution by women's education in the United States. Demographic Research, 15, 537-559. Moore, K.A., & Waite, L.J. (1981). Marital dissolution, early motherhood and early marriage. Social Forces, 60(1), 20-40. Pastor, J.I.M. (2008). Highly educated women marry less: An analysis of female marriage rates in Spain. South European Society & Politics, 13(3), 283-302. 2 Schneider, D. (2011). Wealth and the marital divide. American Journal of Sociology, 117(2), 627-667. Schutt, R.K. (2012). Investigating the social world: The process and practice of research (7th ed.). Los Angeles, CA : Sage Publications. South, S.J. (1995). Do you need to shop around? Age at marriage, spousal alternatives, and marital dissolution. Journal of Family Issues, 16(4), 432-449. Spivey, C. (2010). Desperation or desire? The role of risk aversion in marriage. Economic Inquiry, 48(2), 499-516. Teachman, J.D. (1983). Early marriage, premarital fertility, and marital dissolution: Results for blacks and whites. Journal of Family Issues March, 4(1), 105-126. Witt, D.D., Davidson, B., Sollie, D.L., Lowe, G.D., & Peek, C.W. (1987). The consequences of early marriage on marital dissolution. Sociological Spectrum: The Official Journal Of The Mid-South Sociological Association, 7(3), 191-207. Zhang, H., Ho, Petula S. Y.., & Yip, P.S.F. (2012). Does similarity breed marital and sexual satisfaction? Journal of Sex Research, 49(6), 583-593. Read More