The Deinstitutionalization of Marriage Revisited: A New Institutional Approach to Marriage

Abstract

Across the social sciences, there is a consensus that the institution of marriage is undergoing dramatic changes. In this paper, we reconsider conceptually the discussion surrounding Cherlin's (2004) work on the deinstitutionalization of marriage. We apply ideas from the new institutionalism in sociology and economics to the special case of marriage and consider its implications for the conceptualization and operationalization of a deinstitutionalization of marriage. We also provide new institutional explanations for why the institution of marriage persists now and is likely to persist into the future.