of intimacy, emotional support, companionship, and sexual
gratification that people believe they should get from marriage differ
because of the breakdown of what it means to be husband or wife.
Whereas, until recently, the rights and obligations of
spouse?s were prescribed culturally and fairly well understood by just
about everyone, they have become a matter for regulation in the
individual marriages for some this has led to discord and
disappointment (Gleick, p. 26).
Altogether then, cultural changes related to sex roles would
seem to produce different expectations of marriage. A woman who has
supported herself to the age of 25 or above and has lived on her own
until that age has had time to get more education, be exposed more to
a variety of view points and experiences, and therefore, is more
likely to expect a peer relationship with her husband. ?All in all,
she is more likely than a younger woman to enter marriage with a well
developed sense of self worth and broad horizons for her life? (Unger
& Crawford, pg. 364). Compared with a woman who marries younger – she
is more likely to expect a more traditional relationship in which
the husband is dominant (Everett, 1991). According to Everett,
younger women expect greater communication, companionship, and
compatibility with their spouses than older women. Possibly younger
women, still maturing, have not yet developed their own sense of self
worth and, therefore, depend on their spouse to fulfill their needs of
worthiness. As opposed to older women who, in most cases, have a more
stronger sense of self worth.
The traditional bargain struck between men and women –
financial support for domestic services – is no longer valid. Women
have shown outstanding improvements in education, and played a major
part in the work force. With education and occupation in their hands,
women do not need to rely on men for economic support, thus marriage
is not an immediate concern anymore. However, it should be noted that
when both husband and wife are employed the marriage is given an
economic boost.
Nonetheless, all of these changes have spurred women to
greater autonomy. Each has affected marriage in a different way, but
all have worked in unity toward the same result – to make marriage
less urgent and more arbitrary. Marriage may change for the better if
people are committed to making the institution work, although in a new
format. Still, studies show young adult women still care about
marriage enough that the conflict between work life and family life
remains intense. It?s resolution remains a major issue on the public
agenda for the future.
—
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