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Marriage Trends in America: Estimates, Implications, and Underlying Causes

Population and Development Review · 1985 · 178 citations · 38 references

TL;DR

The study examines U.S. marriage, divorce, and remarriage trends since World War II, differences between whites and blacks, and reviews four theories explaining these changes. The authors review four social‑science theories—economic gains from marriage, relative income of young adults, sex‑ratio imbalances, and modernization pressures—to explain the observed changes. The analysis shows marriage has lost centrality since about 1960, with consequences for child illegitimacy, living arrangements, and family economic welfare.

Abstract

This paper examines trends in marriage divorce and remarriage behavior in the United States since World War II and the associated differentials in these behaviors for whites and blacks. The evidence points to the fading centrality of marriage in the lives of men and women since about 1960. Implications of these trends are discussed for illegitimacy living arrangements of children and family economic welfare. The paper also reviews four social science theories proposing reasons for the observed changes in marriage. These theories relate to the gains to marriage the relative income of young adults sex ratio imbalances in the marriage market and secular pressures of modernization. (summary in FRE SPA) (EXCERPT)