An interesting development in social attitudes towards marriage has been reported by the Pew Research Centre, in which the amount of women versus men who believe marriage is valuable has switched places.

Since 1997, young women's high regard for wedded bliss has risen from 28 to 37 percent. Young men's has lowered to 29 percent from 35 percent. Admittedly, these figures still show the idea of a good marriage was never a high priority in the last 20 years in the first place.

The cause of the switch is speculated to be the strengthening of feminism and the feeling that a man's place in the world is being diminished. Women are graduating from tertiary education in droves, they are outnumbering men in the workplace and still have a decided edge in the family court system when it comes to divorce and child custody. The rise of women as providers and decision-makers in the household has turned some men off married life.

Writer Suzanne Venker believes that modern feminism has created the issue that no longer allows men to feel like real men. Ladies increased independence and some of the older laws that were put in place to protect women in the event of divorce as they generally not the breadwinners (such as alimony) has created a shift in the balance between male and female partners in favor of the female.

She also believes that men feel attacked by current feminist ideals and that a culture of hatred towards men has also soured some from pursuing marriage. She notes that online men's groups have emerged that promote the option of avoiding any kind of relationship. As for sex, there are multiple ideas with some opting to never have sex again to those who opt for promiscuity.

The Pew Centre revealed that about half of the adults in the US are currently married and that the age of men and women getting married for the first time has risen for both genders.

The decline in young marriages (those 18 to 29) by 32 percent from the 1960s to today is at least partly explainable by the aforementioned increases of females in higher education and in the workplaces. Many modern fathers and mothers advise their daughters to complete their education and establish a career before sorting their personal lives. Travel is also a highly desirable experience young females look for in their twenties.

These distractions can add to lengthening marriage and childbearing ages. Some additionally blame the much debated Millennial mindset that is considered by the older generations to be self-focused. Interestingly, while Millennial's don't have a high opinion of marriage, they have determined good parenting is a much more important aspect of life. Marriage and parenthood don't necessarily go hand in hand for Millenials, and this could be partially explained by the high divorce rates their parents suffered.

Venker believes that now women are achieving without their male counterparts, it spells doom for the future of marriage, as men are not allowed to fulfill what is in their nature- heading a household by providing and protecting wives and children. Marriage rates are soon expected to dip below the half mark.

References:

www.foxnews.com/...

www.pewresearch.org/...