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250 Outstanding Marriage and Family Research Topics

Looking for the best marriage and family research topics for your sociology paper? With the changing dynamics of family and marriage, there is always scope for more research. This leaves you with endless options for a suitable title for your paper. To make the process simpler, here is a list of the best topics on marriage and family to help you narrow down the choices. It is good to remember that some of these topics may evoke conflicting emotions and opinions. therefore, they are best handled with sensitivity and objectivity. They present ample scope for classroom discussion and debates. However, pick a topic that also presents sufficient scope for research to showcase your understanding of the subject and writing skills as well.

Best Research Topics on Family

Here is a list of some of the best family research topics that explore the changing dynamics on family structures in the recent times.

How can you define the term ‘family’?
Family background determines your rate of success in career and life. Comment.
What are the consequences of divorce on children?
Overcoming trauma of a dysfunctional family
Is it possible to always live up to family expectations?
The effects of parental neglect on children.
How to minimize negative effect of divorce on a family
War veterans and their families. Do they really need help?
Family and its impact on teenage delinquency
Stages of grief in children after the loss of a family member
Stages of grief in an adult after the loss of a family member
How should families cope with the loss of a family member?
The increasing problem of work-life balance and its impact on families
Joint family versus a nuclear family
Family members who should have a say in the upbringing of a child
Fostering children and the issues that arise
Substance abuse within a family. How to save yourself and the rest of your family?
Sexual abuse within a family. Strategies to escape it.
Family violence in the last decade. Has it increased?
The effect of setting very high expectations for members of the family.
Family values: Should they be strict or flexible?
Different types of relationships within a family.
Putting life together after a natural disaster.
Accepting children from a previous marriage into your family.
How to meet a crisis as a family
The issue of gender discrimination within a family.
Gender roles and expectations of the family
Coping with unpleasant secrets of your family
The pressure of inheriting a family business and the impact on children and younger members of the family.
Balancing between family support and allowing young adults to live their lives on their own.
How involved should the family be in one’s career?
The absence of love within a family
Helping a family member in distress.
Unwanted activities that modern families engage in
Accepting the transition of children into adult lives.

Family Life Education Topics for Research

Among the many family and marriage topics for discussion, family life education is an important concept that presents a huge scope for research.

The objectives of family life education
The importance of family life education
The primary principles of family life education
The practices of family life education and their importance in effective outreach.
How family life education can improve moral codes in young adults
The importance of family life education in developing a good personality in adolescents
Complementing parent education with family life education.
How family life education can fill the gap when parents abdicate responsibilities.
The three behavioural needs for family planning.
Importance of setting priorities when planning a family.
Resources that teen parents need for effective parenting.
Tools to build resilience in teen parents
Family life education and psychology
Family life education and social work.
The 10 contents of family life education.
Family life education is one of the most flexible fields of sociology. Your comments.
Family life education to help problem teens cope in college or school.
The role of family life education in decision making among family members.
Write in detail about a decision making model that youth can benefit from when it comes to family planning decisions.
Skill application in family planning.
Parenting classes: A modern trend or a necessity for new parents?
Identifying personal attitude and belief in teen parenting.
How family life education contributes to overall well being and growth of a family.
Assessing knowledge levels of adolescent girls with respect to issues in family life education.
The key areas of study of family life education.
Differences in rural and urban approach to family life education.
How to set up an effective intervention plan when dealing with family life education crisis
The challenges of parents with adolescent parents.
Using family life education to teach teens about balancing between responsibility and freedom.
Critical interests of preschool children
Stimulating growth and development of preschool children.
The right time to plan for a second child.
Adjusting to the ‘Empty Nest Syndrome’.
Importance of family life education in reproductive health.
Population education versus family life education.

Sociology of Family Research Topics

Family structures are an important part of studying sociology. Here are trending sociology research topics on family to help you ace your papers.

Unconventional family structures in the modern world.
Child behaviour and the impact of parents on it.
Child abuse and its long term effects
The impact of cross-racial adoption
The challenges of cross-racial adoption
Differences in family structures across ethnic groups and races
How single parenting impacts the life of children.
The impact on children when couples live apart.
The impact on family structure when couples live apart.
Family and its involvement in community
The role of the community in changing family structures.
Different household structures within families
The earner-carer family model
The need for dual earner couples
The evolution of household structures within families
The importance of dividing household labour within a family.
What is family demography?
Effective ways of dealing with family conflicts
What is maternalism?
The changing approach to filial responsibility
Effective family migration planning
The challenges faced by immigrant families.
Examples of matriarchal family structures across the globe.
The changing roles of a woman in a family.
The changing roles of a man in a family.
Effective ways to manage money within a family
The important parental roles in deciding the outcomes for children.
Sibling relationships at different ages.
Dealing with stepfamilies.
Challenges faced by stepmothers and how to overcome them?
Challenges faced by stepfathers and how to overcome them?
The concept of sibling ties.
Causes for increase in female householders
Deteriorating economic circumstances of men and the impact on family structures.
Cohabitation and a decline in marriage.

Marriage and Family Therapy Research Topics

Whether it is research paper on relationships, marriage or family structure, therapy and counselling plays an important role in today’s world. Here are some topics that are trending and relevant.

Stress and its impact on family or marriage counselling.
Qualities of a good family therapist.
The role of pre-marriage counselling in strengthening relationships.
Techniques of family therapy
The key concepts of family therapy
Objectives of marriage and family therapy
Living with a family member who has mental health issues
Providing family support to members with mental health issues.
Importance of family therapy in the sociology of family.
The emergence of family therapy as an identifiable field of psychology.
Family therapy and its importance in social work.
Child guidance and mental health
Family systems model of therapy.
Improving communication patterns within family through counselling.
The concept of function and purpose of symptoms.
The circular causation model of family therapy.
Recognizing structural characteristics of families through therapy
The increasing need for family and marriage therapy.
How family therapy can help cope with members who are addicted to substances.
Family therapy and child sexual abuse.
Family therapy versus marriage counselling.
Non systemic postmodernist models of family therapy.
The challenges faced by family therapists.
Factors that limit the scope of family therapy.
History of professional marriage and family therapy.
The evolving treatment of gender in family therapy.
The evolving treatment of sexual orientation in family therapy.
The perspective of family and marriage therapy among various ethnic groups.
The need for counselling for children of divorce.
Family therapy to help deal with loss of family members.
Family therapy to cope with terminally ill family members.
Significant models of family therapy in the modern world.
Important research papers on family therapy.
The pioneers of family and marriage counselling.
Changes in psychiatry and its role in the development of family therapy.
The contributions of Harry Stack Sullivan to family therapy.
Factors that contribute the positive mental health among family members.
The impact of cultural systems on the understanding of family dynamics.
Family therapy and its integration into family medicine.
Common treatment protocols in family therapy.

Divorce Topics For Research Paper

Because of the social and emotional impact that it has, divorce is among the most important marriage topics for discussion.

Study of abusive and toxic relationships within a family.
The causes for increasing divorce rates.
Perception of divorce among different ethnicities.
The impact of culture on the perception of divorce.
Marriage counselling as an effective way of preventing divorce
The trauma of child custody battles
The impact of child custody battles on the child.
The social perspective of divorced couples.
Raising children as a divorced couple.
A study on family violence
The changing perspective of marriage among children of divorce.
The impact of divorce on the social lives of children.
Sociological consequences of divorce.
Changing patterns and trends of divorce
Is divorce a social problem?
The negative consequences of divorce
The positive consequences of divorce
The economical consequences of divorce
How divorce impacts your social circle.
The impact of increasing divorce rates on society.
Ideological considerations of divorce
The process of marital breakdown.

Family Law Topics for Research

Here is a list of family law topics that have a good scope for data collection so that you can present an impressive paper.

Shared residence orders versus single residence orders.
The need for reform and alteration in family laws in your country.
Relationships, family and the law
Reform in the cohabitation law.
The Children Act of 1989 and its importance in Family Law.
Extending civil marriage availability to same sex couples. Write your views for and against this topic.
Laws regarding non-conjugal relationships.
The role of family law in determining the boundaries of marriage.
Child relocation and the laws associated with it
Divorce decisions based on the Principles of Fairness
The matrimonial cause act of 1973. Discuss its importance and the evolution.
Discuss three family laws that may be irrelevant in the modern world.
Why is it necessary to establish family laws?
The Piglowska versus Piglowski case of 1999 and its impact on divorce law decisions.
The role of religion on divorce laws.
Providing legal support to make victims of domestic abuse.
Why are child protection laws important?
The legal aspects of family welfare and social work.
Intervention of the State or authorities in families where children are abused or neglected.
Termination of parental rights in case of neglect or abuse. Is it the right approach?
Family laws about inheritance.
The changing laws of adoption.
A comparison of family laws in the West and the East.
Are family laws more liberal in the West?
Is the concept of alimony redundant in today’s world?
The need for legal validation of relationships.
Should women receive child support even if they are financially stable?
Is it correct for one parent to withhold visitation rights of the other?
Challenges faced by family lawyers.

Family Bible Study Topics of Research

Religion is a primary construct in the family structure. Here are some best rated family bible study topics that you can choose from:

Family bible study and its role in establishing values with a family.
How to use family bible study to improve the personality of adolescents.
The role of family bible study in increasing bonding between family members.
Is family bible study necessary in the modern world?
How the church positively influences the family structure.
Some family theories and concepts from the bible that are relevant even today?
Some outdated concepts of family that are mentioned in the bible that do not fit into modern society.
How family bible study impacts marriages and relationships.
Family bible study and why it is important for children to start young.
Family bible study and its role in improving behaviour of family members.
Interesting ideas to make family bible study relevant and interesting.

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40 Family Issues Research Paper Topics

Read Also: The Best Research Paper Writing Service For Writing Research Papers

40 Marriage and Family Research Topics for any Taste

Parental neglect. Is it enough for a kid to have food, clothes, and shelter to grow up healthy?
Divorce and its consequences for all the family members. Minimizing the negative impact of divorce
Toxic and narcissistic parents. Overcoming the trauma of a dysfunctional family
To live up to the family expectation: what to do if they are too high for a human being?
Family violence: where is the point of no return?
Sexual abuse in the family. The strategy of escaping and organizations that can help
Toxic and abusive relationship. The psychologies issues of breaking up with toxic partner
Substance abuse in the family. It is always possible to save yourself, but is it possible to save the rest?
War Veterans and their families. Do Vets the only ones there who need help?
Accepting the LGBTQ+ member of the family
Getting out of the closet: what is like to be an LGBTQ+person in a conservative family?
Loss of a family member: stages of grief of children and adults. How to cope together?
Religious conflicts in families: what to do and how to solve?
Teenage delinquency: when it turns to be more than natural seeking independence?
Fostering a child: what problems can the parents face?
Generation gap. The difference in morals and culture. Is it normal?
Living with senile family members: how to cope and avoid emotional burnout?
Mentally challenged family members: how to integrate them into society?
The importance of family support for people with disabilities
Pregnancy and the first year of having a baby: do tiredness and depression make people bad parents?
The types of relationship in the family: are they healthy and just unusual or something is harmful to family members?
Life after disasters: how to put life together again? The importance of family support
The issue of an older sibling. How to make every kid feel equally loved?
Gender discrimination in families. Gender roles and expectations
Multicultural families: how do their values get along?
Children from previous marriages: how to help them accept the new family?
Childhood traumas of parents: helping them not to transfer them to the next generation
Every family can meet a crisis: how to live it through in a civilized way?
Family counseling: why it is so important?
Accidentally learned the secrets of the family: how to cope with unpleasant truth?
Adultery: why it happens and what to do to prevent it?
Career choice: how to save the relationships with the family and not inherit the family business?
The transition to adult life: the balance between family support and letting the young adult try living their own life
Unwanted activities: shall the family take warning or it is just trendy now?
Returning of a family member from prison: caution versus unconditional love
A family member in distress: what can you do to actually help when someone close to you gets in serious troubles?
The absence of love. What to do if you should love someone but can’t?
Ageism in families. Are older people always right?
Terminal diseases and palliative care. How to give your family member a good life?
Where can seek help the members of the dysfunctional families?

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258 Marriage Essay Topics and Family Research Ideas

Marriage is a vast theme for analysis, covering many complexities, joys, and interpersonal relationships. We want to share some of the best marriage essay topics. Discover various facets of marriage, from its historical roots to contemporary issues. Among our topics on marriage and family, find the best option for an essay about Christian or same-sex marriage.

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Arranged Marriages’ Advantages and Disadvantages
The Theme of Money and Marriage in “Pride and Prejudice”
Process Philosophy in Family, Marriage, and Education
Marriage Theme in “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde
Theme of Marriage in “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen
Concept of Same-Sex Marriage
Midsummer Night’s Dream: Perspectives on Marriage
Gay Marriage and Ethical Theories Despite being supported by some ethical theories, gay marriages are not good for the marriage institution and should not be supported.
Marriage: Types and Characteristics The main types of marriage include traditional, civil, monogamous, companion-based, religious, and parenting marriages. All the types have their advantages and disadvantages.
Young Marriage: Good or Not Good? Marriages play a very important role in the life of every person. Some people may think that marriages are the gates to grown-up life with its advantages and disadvantages.
Unforgiveness in Marriage and Families Unforgiveness is caused by broken trust, abuse and humiliation and may adversely affect an individual’s physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being.
Yoruba and Lakota Marriage Rituals This essay elucidates the marriage customs and rituals in the context of Yoruba and Lakota while examining the similarities and disparities of these cultures.
Marriage Has Lost Its Relevance In Modern Culture It is a long-standing tradition that seems to have more of a religious connotation rather than a social meaning.
Ethnocentrism: The Practice of Arranged Marriage Globalization is an inescapable and ever-expanding conceit, which seems to be considered synonymous with modern-day existence.
Personal Essay on Sociological Imagination, Divorce, & Marriage Mills’ idea of the sociological imagination demonstrates how the ability to analyze the personal experience can help to be well-orientated in social processes.
Analysis of Social Institution of Marriage Marriage is a unique social institution that can be viewed as an agreement between partners needed to regulate social life.
Marriage and Family Relationships’ Role in Society In this paper, attention will be paid to such factors as social class, age, and other determinants of marriage in order to comprehend the worth of a family in society.
Conflict Theories: Gay Marriages and Feminism Conflict theories purport that, families can take different structures and do not view change as a clash or dysfunctional. This theory has been a catalyst for gay marriages and feminism.
Correlation between Wedding Expenses and Marriage Duration Causation denotes the action of one item causing another, whereas correlation is a connection between variables.
Unhappy Marriages in the Movie ”Passing” One could argue that the bourgeois roots of both Irene and Clare determined their unhappy marriages in “Passing”.
Malay Marriage and Its Ceremonies The marriage is one of the brightest ceremonies that the Malayans celebrate and this paper will examine all aspects that precede this ceremony and are carried out during the latter.
Theme of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen is the most famous novel and it may be considered as a classic of English literature.
Same-Sex Marriage Movement in the United States This research paper discusses supporting and opposing views regarding same-sex marriages in the United States and provides evidence from existing studies on both matrimonies.
Social Structure of Marriage in Western Society In modern-day and marriage is rapidly becoming less popular, although widely still perceived as an essential step in a successful life.
Moral Relativism and the Same-Sex Marriage Same-sex marriage has evoked numerous debates in political, religious, legal, and some other dimensions. Various cultures tend to accept marriage in different ways.
Essential Qualities of Marriage Partners Successful marriages are characterized by friendship among partners, thereby constant care and love, mutual trust, and similar interests are the most important traits in a partner.
Marriage and Romantic Relationships: US vs. Trinidad & Tobago This paper aims to discuss the courtship and marriage customs in the United States and compare them with those from Trinidad and Tobago.
Why Marriage Should Be Based on Love and Not Arranged? The paper aims to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of an arranged marriage and explain why based on love between the bride and groom is better.
Marriage and Inequalities With Gender The issue of bridging gender equality has been the center of debate in the 21 century. The role of women in society could no longer be underestimated.
Same-Sex Marriage and the Constitution of the US Same-sex marriage is one of the most controversial topics in the U.S. Many people consider such marriages a fundamental right of humans, while others find them inappropriate.
Family, Marriage, and Gender in “Gone With the Wind” This essay focuses on the marriage issues presented in “Gone With the Wind” and examines the protagonist’s rebellion against the social standards imposed by society.
Marriage Satisfaction and Its Factors In this paper, factors that go into relationship and marriage satisfaction will be explored in order to understand their effects better.
Finding and Choosing a Partner for Marriage An individual can know that he or she found a good or even outstanding partner if both of them are willing to change and adapt according to each other’s needs.
Discussion of Marriage and Divorce Impact Marriage can provide evidence economic benefits to both parties; divorce, on the other hand, can be costly, that’s why the paper examines the economics of marriage and divorce.
Children Before Marriage: Contradictions in Society Sociology discloses a great majority of myths connected with the power of marriage given to children and their parents.
Cohabitation and Its Advantages Over Marriage In recent years, cohabitation has rose significantly in the US as more couples choose to live together outside the institution of marriage.
The Social Construct of Marriage The modern world considers marriage as a social construct. The culture and the conventions of a country have a very prominent role in marriage.
Marriage in Pride & Prejudice: Research Paper The paper provides several angles to look at the subject of marriage, deals with the institution of marriage as dealt with in the book by Jane Austen, The Pride and Prejudice.
Christian Counseling for Marriage and Family This paper discusses Christian counseling for marriage and family described in “Love and Respect” by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs.
Healthy Marriage and Family Relationships This essay examines the significance of scientifically based knowledge on marriages and family relationships with a view of establishing how good choices increase longevity.
Gay Marriage Should not be Legal Due to media popularization of gay rights, opposition of gay rights to marriage is normally equated to intolerance.
Albion’s Seed: Marriage and Cultural Folkways David Hackett Fisher’s book Albion’s Seed describes the folk customs of four groups of people who moved from different areas of Great Britain to the United States.
Declining Marriage Rates Outcomes The plummeting marriage rates have created the discernment that Americans do not regard marriage highly anymore.

Arranged Marriages

It’s estimated that more than half of the marriages worldwide are arranged. Even though talking about these types of unions is not very common, unless the subject is a low divorce rate, they remain a popular practice worldwide. One more thing to note is that arranged and forced marriages are not the same thing.

Family and Marriage Therapy

Family and marriage therapy deals with family dynamics and how one individual’s behaviors affect the whole unit. This field started developing in the mid-20th century when therapists realized the interconnectedness between relationships and mental health.

Marital Communication

Communication between spouses is most frequently studied through the prism of satisfaction. Comparing couples who are happy in their relationship and those who struggle to understand each other offers a new perspective on marital dynamics. Three types of communication are usually considered: verbal, nonverbal, and written.

Marriage Equality and Its Constitutionality

The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that marriage is a fundamental human right without which justice and liberty can’t exist. The marriage equality campaign is about legalizing same-sex marriages. It is one of the policies the LGBTQ+ rights movement has fought for over the past half-century.

The Miseries of Enforced Marriage

The Miseries of Enforced Marriage is George Wilkins’s play written in 1607. The story is based on the real-life case of murderer Walter Calverley, whose marriage was arranged. The author uses comic elements in this play to convey how dangerous an enforced marriage can be.

What Are the Theological Underpinnings and Teachings on Marriage from the Christian Scriptures?
The Role of Faith in Marriage: How Shared Religious Beliefs Shape Communication, Values, and Decision-making in a Christian Marriage?
What Are the Traditional and Evolving Gender Roles of Spouses Within the Context of Christian Teachings?
The Significance of Marriage as a Sacrament within Various Christian Denominations.
What Are the Major Challenges in Mixed-Faith Marriages for Couples with Differing Christian Beliefs?
Communication and Conflict Resolution in Christian Marriages.
How Do Christian Values Influence Parenting Approaches and Family Dynamics within a Marriage?
The Concept of Mutual Submission and Servant Leadership in Christian Marriages.
The Connection Between Spiritual Intimacy and Physical Intimacy in a Christian Marital Relationship.
The Role of Christian Counseling in Addressing Marital Challenges and Fostering Growth.
The Importance of Premarital Counseling and Its Role in Establishing a Strong Christian Foundation for Marriage.
How Do Christian Values Drive Decisions Related to Adoption and Foster Care?
The Christian Approach to Addressing Infidelity and Forgiveness.
Explore the Challenges and Joys of Couples Engaged in Ministry Work Together.
How Do Christian Marriage Practices Vary Across Cultures and Regions?
The Concept of Marriage as a Sacred Covenant Rather Than a Mere Legal Contract.
How Do Theological Disagreements Within Christian Marriages Are Navigated and Resolved?
The Unique Blessings and Challenges of Growing Old as a Couple with Shared Christian Values.
What Are the Benefits of Attending Christian-Focused Marriage Enrichment Programs?
How Do Church Involvement and Fellowship Contribute to the Strength of Christian Marriages?
Modern Arranged Marriages in Indian Community The culture of arranged marriage has transformed considerably over time. The practice of arranged marriages has formed a vital component of Indian culture since the fourth century.
Love and Marriage in “The Philadelphia Story” Film This essay bases on the film ‘The Philadelphia Story’ and explains the historical significance of the issue of love and marriage in American society in the 1940s.
Same-Sex Marriage as a Moral Controversy Commonly same-sex marriages were considered to be immoral and were not supported by society. However, recently they became legal in some countries and several states of America.
Cohabitation vs. Traditional Marriage Cohabitation has taken an increasing trend in the young population and many people prefer it for compatibility before marriage.
Sociological Factors for a Happy Marriage: Key Insights and Research Findings To be successful in marriage, couples need to spend time before entering into the relationship to ensure that minimal discrepancies exist in terms of mutual interests.
For and Against of Gay Marriage Same-sex marriages is a union that takes place between two people who belong to the same social gender or similar biological sex.
Marriage as a Topic in Cultural Anthropology This paper presents the picture of marriage in different cultures. It shows the specific traits that cultural anthropology entails and how they can be identified.
The Job of a Marriage and Family Therapist The job of a marriage and family therapist presupposes consulting people who are in close relationships or partners who are thinking about parting.
Marriage and Divorce Rates Decline in Qatar This paper discusses the decline in the rate of marriages and divorces in Qatar in recent years, analyzes the reasons, explores the cultural and traditional attitudes.
The Concept and Aspects of Remarriage After divorce, some couples end up remarrying for a second or subsequent period. It has become a culture as many marriages may have one or both partners remarried.
The Same-Sex Marriage Counterargument This work analyzes the current problems of the LGBT community associated with the family unit and provides a counterargument to the legalization of same-sex marriage.
Same Sex Marriages in India Those involved in same sex marriages feel safe, a large percentage of the population in India still upholds the conservative culture and this is a source of risk.
Unhappy Marriage in “The Story of an Hour” by K. Chopin The theme of the story that Choplin has highlighted is that women felt trapped in a marriage as they were required to serve as dutiful wives of an honorable man.
Contemporary Threats to Marriage and Family This paper examines contemporary threats to marriage and family, how government contributes to these problems, and its role in solving them
Marriage and Divorce in the Modern World Marriage is a social institution and it defines parenthood. Families are often affected by divorce both ideologically and financially.
Cohabiting Before Marriage: The Negative Effects Cohabitation among couples has become popular in the past fifty years. The author explains how cohabitation can cause many problems and create unhappiness in relationships.
Remarriage and Step Families: Myths and Challenges This paper discusses remarriage and step families: categories of remarried couples, demographics of remarriage, challenges, and myths of remarriage, and qualities of remarriage.
The Relevance of Child Marriage and Its Impact on Fertility The main reasons for early marriages are excessive parental care and poor relationships between parents. This leads girls to the desire to leave the parental family.
Marriage in “The Story of an Hour” by Chopin and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Gilman The institute of marriage is one of the core pillars of social structure, and a family unit is anchored on marriage.
Marriage Oppression and Freedom Signs The 19th century is characterized by women discrimination in society, whereby the role of women is to offer basic services at home.
Marriage and Divorce: Poverty Among Divorced Women This paper aims at looking into the possible connection between divorce and poverty among women given that many women are employed and are financially independent.
“Contra Same-Sex Marriage” by by Jeff Jordan Jeff Jordan begins by asserting that having an opposing opinion to same-sex marriage is not necessarily anti-gay.
Marriage Integrity: Literature Study This admittedly brief survey of the literature on marriage and divorce in America today finds uncommon agreement that divorce impacts children in a variety of damaging ways.
Personal Issues: Marriage, Obesity, and Alcohol Abuse The actions of every person have a particular impact on society and its development, and this impact is sometimes underestimated.
Marriage in “Popular Mechanics” by Raymond Carver “Popular Mechanics” by Carver is a story full of realism that uses the social issue of marriage problems to argue that quarreling in the family can harm both parents and children.
Discriminatory Traditions Regarding Marriage in Egypt In Egypt, the situation remains complex as its population adheres to old, inhumane, and discriminative traditions regarding the marriage and partners` rights in it.
“Same-Sex Marriage in Canada” by Jay Makarenko “Same-Sex Marriage in Canada” focused on the analysis of historical and legal processes that culminated in the legalization of same-sex marriages in the country.
Successful Marriage Components Respect is critical to the functioning of a marriage, but it is not sufficient on its own.
Marriages and Divorces: The Motivation of Choice The paper states that a happy marriage can bring excellent development for romantic relationships, and make them more serious and meaningful.
The Same-Sex Marriages: Social Aspects LGBTQ couples not only have a chance of getting married normally, but also attending worship centers like typical people.
Society in the Medieval Ages: Women, Marriage, and Sexuality The most surprising fact about the Medieval Ages when it comes to women’s position in society is relative inconsistency.
Marriage in Experience of Men and Women The family life crisis is a highly challenging time for two individuals when they realize things are not going as planned, given their attitudes.
Change in Marriage: The Family Therapy Treatment planning process is continuous reassessment of the current state of the clients’ marriage with the purpose of ascertaining specific changes that is needed in behavior.
Authentic Sexuality in the Marriage Authentic sexuality is hard to define in a sexually oversaturated, postmodern, and increasingly heterogeneous society.
Same-Sex Marriage: Issues and Debates The paper discusses the problems and debates surrounding same-sex marriage in the US, including legal and ethical issues, history, and arguments from proponents and opponents.
The Problem of Same-Sex Marriage Marriage gender equity supporters claim that providing same-sex couples marriage privileges ensures equal legal status and opens the door to a slew of governmental opportunities.

Marriage and the relationship between family members often become topics of discussion since they are a part of almost everyone’s life. They deeply affect a person’s health, social skills, and work capabilities. If you decide to write a research paper on the subject, we can suggest some excellent ideas for you:

Marriage agreements: legal grounds for recognition or invalidity. In this essay, you can explain why and how marriage contracts can benefit couples. Dive into the legal mechanisms behind these agreements.
Marriage responsibilities: why it is essential to fulfill your obligations. Healthy family relationships create a better society and teach people to respect each other. In your paper, discuss some general principles that make a relationship happy and long-lasting.
Childhood family experience and how it shapes a woman’s view of marriage. Research has proven that memories from childhood influence how a woman perceives her future married life. Explore how family dynamics and the quality of parental marriage change attitudes toward relationships.
The rising popularity of cross-national marriages: reasons and consequences. As the world becomes increasingly global, so do couples. In your paper, review the recent trends and the driving forces behind the increased number of multinational unions.
Religious marriages vs. marriages in accordance with the law: differences and unique features. Marriage is a social phenomenon governed by personal law, which is usually based on religious beliefs. In this paper, explain when marriage is considered legal and how the government’s perspective differs from a religious one.
Polygamy and Polyamory: Debate the Ethical, Legal, and Cultural Aspects of Multiple Partner Marriages.
What Are the Complexities of Arranged Marriages in Different Cultural Contexts?
The Major Challenges and Consequences of Open Marriages.
What Is the Appropriate Age for Marriage and How Does It Impact Individuals and Society?
Evaluate Same-Sex Marriage Rights and the Ongoing Debates around LGBTQ+ Rights.
What Are the Major Challenges and Benefits of Marriages Between Individuals of Different Religious Beliefs?
What Are the Societal Perceptions and Challenges Faced by Couples from Different Racial Backgrounds?
The Implications of Prenuptial Agreements on Trust and Commitment.
The Impact of Income Disparities and Financial Contributions on Marital Dynamics.
The Ethical Concerns and Legal Implications of Child Marriages in Various Cultures.
The Complexities Faced by Transgender Individuals in Marriage Contexts.
Temporary Marriages (Nikah Mut’ah): The Practice of Temporary Marriages in Certain Islamic Traditions.
What Are the Legal and Ethical Aspects of Recognizing and Addressing Marital Rape?
The Ethical Implications of International Marriages Arranged Through Agencies.
The Pros and Cons of Cohabitation Versus Formal Marriage Arrangements.
The Challenges and Benefits When One Partner Converts to Their Spouse’s Religion.
What Is the Impact of Infertility on Marital Relationships and the Pursuit of Parenthood?
What Are the Challenges Faced by Couples When One Partner Has a Disability?
How Do Mental Health Issues Impact Marital Dynamics and Support?
The Reasons for and Consequences of High Divorce Rates in Modern Society.
“Soul, Self, and Society”: Marriage, Family, and Kinship The fifth chapter of the book “Soul, Self, and Society,” is devoted to the discussion of marriage, kin, and family and their various forms across the world.
Same-Gender Families and Marriage Law This essay will interrogate the laws that control marriage and their application to the union of same-gender marriages.
Homogamous Marriage as Societal Change Social standards and institutions, especially regarding love and marriage, are fundamental for any society. People are likely to keep to tradition for a long time.
Legalization of Same-Sex Marriages in the US Same-sex marriages should not have been legalized because it is one way of advocating for immorality and disrespect to human dignity from a creation point of view.
Marriage Issues and Divorce Rates in America One needs to look at the modern institution of marriage in America in order to explain the problem of divorce in the current social situation.
Gay Marriage Redefines the True Meaning of Family This literature review aims to illustrate how the legalization of gay marriage helped redefine the meaning of family and argues that it transformed the social role of the unit.
Why Same-Sex Marriages Are Ok for All Countries? When discrimination becomes widespread in society, everyone suffers from it. In that way, same-sex marriages should be legalized in all countries that strive for development.
Changes in Perception on Same-Sex Marriage and LGBTQ+ People The paper states that acceptance of the LGBT community and marriage between people of the same sex is gradually beginning to appear in modern society.
Marriage Equality and Its Constitutionality This paper addresses the constitutionality of marriage fairness in the United States by first tracing the evolution of same-gender marriage as a fundamental human right.
Theology of Family Life, Marriage and Parenting Religious marriage is possible when a ceremony is conducted (simultaneously or separately, depending on religion) with the couple being wed in the eyes of God.
John Gottman: What Makes Marriages Work In his research on love and relationships in couples, John Gottman and his team utilized diverse types of data.
Mallards Couple’s Marriage in Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” The work examines the marriage of Mallards, the couple from the piece of literature entitled “The Story of an Hour,” written by Kate Chopin.
Same-Sex Marriage – Conservative Views Rebuttal This essay discusses why these old-fashioned views must be disregarded since society has embraced equal rights, including gay marriages.
Marriage and Family Therapy and Pharmacological Treatment The notion of marriage and family counseling presupposes a sophisticated process during which professionals are to adopt an integrative approach to the therapy.
Trappings of Marriage in Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” is a social commentary on marriage and how horrible it could be for women and men at the end of the eighteenth century.
The Gay Marriage: Legal Arguments For and Against The Constitution not only legitimizes gay marriage but implies that the government should never have considered a ban and should instead actively pursue legalizing gay marriage.
“Is Gender Equality the Silent Killer of Marriages?” Article Analysis The article “Is Equality Ruining Your Marriage?” by Suzanne Venker explores the adverse effects of integrating egalitarian concepts in the marriage context.
What Is Marriage? Being one of the most ancient social formations, the notion of marriage has attracted the attention of many thinkers and researchers throughout human history.
Same-Sex Marriages: a Question of Legality or Morality The existence of same-sex relationships and the eventual legalization of such marriages have been controversial in different societies around the world.
The Cultural and Psychological Aspects of Marriage Recognizing the cultural and psychological aspects of marriage and the shifts these aspects are currently experiencing is also important.
Interracial Marriages: Racial Literacy Components and Border Patrolling Interracial marriages have become an evident positive phenomenon of the present-day United States, but there are still those who share obsolete views and object to them.
Marriage and the Rules in Place Around the Globe The two marital practices in the societies are polygamous and monogamous marriages. The paper aims to gather and compare the data on marital rules in countries around the world.
Evidence Based Practice and Marriage and Family Therapy It is obvious that introduction of managed care climate would be beneficial for the evidence based practice implementation, as it would promote its usage.
Aspects of Effective Communication in Marriage Effective communication in marriage is crucial for any successful marriage, it helps in problem-solving and expression of views as well as ideas; which results in acceptance
Same Sex Marriage Question Overview Basically, society seems to focus on the question as to whether it is morally acceptable to engage in sexual relationships with people of the same sex.
Remarriage in Religious Studies The most scared institution of the human life is marriage. By marrying each other a man and a woman become one and enter the family life.
Two-Lives, One Partner: Indo-Canadian Youth Between Love and Arranged Marriages Netting expands knowledge about the marriage patterns and choices of Indo-Canadian youth: the ways they balance between the possibilities of “love marriage” and “arranged marriage”.
Polygamous Marriage in TV Series “Big Love” Season 1 The theme of polygamous marriage is the central motive of the “Big Love” series. The theme of the research may be defined as the nature and hardships of polygamous marriage.
A Marriage Built on Christian Love In this essay, the author discusses how love should actually be understood according to Christian beliefs, and what is a factor in a strong marriage.
Saudi Arabia: Marriage and Family Formation In Saudi Arabia, marriage is a very important step in everyone’s life because the foundation of their culture is drawn from the Islamic religion.
Gay and Poverty Marriage The institution of family and the issues of marriage play a crucial role in society today. Marriage status determines relations between spouses and their relations with the state.
Gay Marriages in the Media: Different Opinions About the Question Gay marriages are rather common affairs in modern world. Many countries began to think about legalization of same-sex marriages.
Themes of Social Rituals, Marriage Customs in “Things Fall Apart” written by Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe managed to create a great tragedy of tribe living disclosed through personal tragedy of one character who was unable to overcome his passion for family, culture and work.
Interracial Relationships and Marriage in the USA Interracial relationships and marriage remains one of the most highly debated topics in American society today
Gay Marriages Legalization: Arguments Against Proponents of same-sex marriages argue that legalization would grant same-sex marriages equal rights and benefits with heterosexual marriages.
Historical Context and Implications of Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage.
Same-Sex Marriage and Civil Rights Movements.
Causes and Effects of Shifts in Public Opinion on Same-Sex Marriage.
Religious Perspectives on Same-Sex Marriage: Diverse Views and Debates.
The Economic Impact of Same-Sex Marriage Legalization.
Challenges and Benefits of Same-Sex Marriage for Mental Health.
Parenting in Same-Sex Marriages: Effects on Children’s Well-Being.
Legal Challenges and Obstacles to Same-Sex Marriage Worldwide.
Cultural Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Marriage in Different Regions.
Legal Protections for Same-Sex Couples: Beyond Marriage.
Progress and Remaining Hurdles of Same-Sex Marriage in Terms of Social Equality.
Transgender and Non-Binary Individuals in Same-Sex Marriages.
Legal and Ethical Implications of Same-Sex Marriage for Adoption.
Impact of Same-Sex Marriage on Traditional Marriage Norms
Healthcare Access and Same-Sex Marriages: Policy and Barriers.
Intersectionality and Same-Sex Marriages: Race, Gender, and Identity.
Unique Challenges and Legal Considerations of Same-Sex Divorce.
Comparative Analysis of Same-Sex Marriage Laws in Different Countries.
Same-Sex Marriage and Workplace Discrimination.
LGBTQ+ Activism and Its Role in Promoting Same-Sex Marriage.
Religious Exemptions and Same-Sex Marriage Legislation.
Impact of Same-Sex Marriage on Mental Health Stigma.
Media Representation of Same-Sex Marriage and LGBTQ+ Individuals.
Same-Sex Marriage and the Role of Social Media in Advocacy.
Same-Sex Marriage and Elderly LGBTQ+ Individuals.
Same-Sex Marriage and Tourism: Economic and Cultural Impacts.
The Role of Courts in Advancing Same-Sex Marriage Rights.
Ethical Dilemmas and Same-Sex Marriage: Balancing Rights and Values.
Is the Institution of Marriage at Risk? The main factors comprise the categories of family, home, and cultural along with traditional background, so that to evaluate the main framework of the paper on the whole.
Same-Sex Marriage: Marriage Laws Features In the United States, married couples receive many legal benefits that couples who live together but are unmarried do not.
Controversy on Gay Marriage in the U.S. The paper explores the question of the legalization of gay marriage and provides arguments on the positive sides of that for American society.
The Addictions That Have Effects on Marriage The addictions that have effects on marriage can be classified into two groups: substance addiction and process addiction.
Child Marriage in the Middle East Countries Child marriage is a significant concern in some parts of the world, especially in the Middle East and North Africa. It is defined as the marriage of a child under the age of 18.
Marriage According to Geoffrey Chaucer and Jane Austen This focus of this paper is a critical evaluation of the way the characters of Chaucer and Jane Austen looked at life and marriage.
Premarital Counseling Questions Before the Marriage At the stage of relationships before the wedding, couples, as a rule, do not experience significant difficulties in communicating and solving joint issues.
Issues of Interracial Marriages in the United States Unions between members of different races tend to suffer from judgment-related issues when interacting with other members of the community.
Marriage in “A Doll’s House” Play by Henrik Ibsen There are several prominent themes raised in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, including the discussion of feminism, freedom, happiness, and dignity.
Same-Sex Marriages and Their Benefits for Society Same-sex marriage refers to the coming together of two people of analogous sexual orientations through a religious or a civil ritual.
Same-Sex Marriages and Human Rights Many people acknowledge that same-sex marriage is something that should be analyzed using this law. This discussion gives my personal perspective of this issue.
Same-Sex Marriages and Their Moral Basis Statistical findings depict a substantial increase in the number of American adults who support the idea of same-sex marriage.
Civil Rights: Same-Sex Marriage in Texas Using the case of Texas, this paper identifies different cartoons published within the past two years to discuss the predicaments associated with the given civil rights concern.
Talking Traditions of Marriage In “Talking traditions of marriage – negotiating young British Bangladeshi femininities”, Pichler uses a variety of techniques that are traditionally considered ‘masculine’ in order to get her point across.
Can Marriage End Poverty? Marriages to some degree alleviate poverty, but not all marriages can do so. Only marriages build on sound principles can achieve such a feat.
Marriage in Family Life and Government Policies Marriage is essential in every family. People get into the lifelong covenant of marriage for spiritual protection, joy, security, and meaning to the people involved.
Marriage and Family Counseling The woman in the discussed situation decided to preserve her autonomy, and in case the marriage is truly frustrating for her, then she has the right to act so.
Intercultural Communication: Interfaith Marriages Nowadays rapidly changing the world sets new opportunities and challenges in the field of intercultural communication. One of them is a growing number of interfaith marriages.
The Future of Same-Sex Marriages This paper supports the argument that marriage of homosexual couples should be allowed. The tenet of this position is based on basic human rights, the religious freedom and personal conscious.
Marriage Equality: LGBT Couples’ Constitutional Issues This essay explores the constitutional issue of marriage equality for married same-sex partners that still face discrimination, as shows the example of the case of Pavan v. Smith.
Analyzing Representations of Marriage in Works by Bradstreet, Dooley, and Larkin This paper discusses marriage life in Bradstreet’s “To My Dear and Loving Husband”, Dooley’s “Post-Its (Notes on a Marriage)”, and Holzman and Larkin’s “Talking in Bed”.
Puritan Marriages in Bradstreet’s Poetry This paper discusses what Bradstreet’s “To My Dear and Loving Husband” tells us about the nature of Puritan marriages.
The Law of Desire: Exploring Temporary Marriage Practices in Shii Iran The author aimed to explain how “contractual” or temporary marriage provided the Muslim community with an efficient and practical solution for fulfilling their basic human needs.
Same-Sex Marriages in Australia: Legal Developments and Societal Impact Same sex marriages and relationships have become common in modern societies due to the expansive democratic space offered by constitutions.
Love, Sex, and Marriage in Ancient and Middle Ages The attitude to love, sex, and marriage has changed in the course of our history. Numerous societies created their own approaches to these questions.
In Favor of Same-Sex Marriage: Legalization, Rights and Misconceptions With the recent legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States the public has divided the views on this point into two opposite frameworks.
Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage: From Loving v. Virginia to Obergefell v. Hodges Tradition alone cannot serve as a justification to refuse someone their right to marry, thus discriminating against them based on their sexual orientation.
Gender Stereotypes: Men Stereotyped as Being Less Faithful in Marriage The present study measures the effects of stereotyping women. It examines the first impression formed by subjects based on the information about a fictitious man or a woman.
Societal Reactions to the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Gay Marriage: Insights and Implications The article, “Sidesteps Broad Gay Marriage Ruling,” by Peralta Eyder, explores the controversial 2013 ruling against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) by the US Supreme Court.
Child Marriage Issue in Afghanistan This essay is a summary of the connection between a child rights group and its link with child marriage, and an analysis of other forms of child abuse.
Marriage Contract’ Legal Provisions The contract cannot cover each of aspect of family life. Much attention should be paid to such issues as emotional closeness, openness, or empathy.
Same Sex Marriage: A Global Moral Controversy Same sex marriage is a moral issue that has raised controversies in many parts of the world. It is popularity referred to as homosexuality.
Legal and Social Arguments in the Same-Sex Marriage Debate Eight states have legalized same-sex marriages in USA.These states argue that gays and lesbians, as the citizens of the United States, should enjoy the civil benefits of marriage.
Homosexual Relations and Untraditional Marriages: Ongoing Debate The question of homosexual relations and untraditional marriages remains to be open for a long period of time. It is hard to make all people choose the same position and stick to it all the time.
Marriages Between Blacks and Whites This paper will examine concepts of interracial couples and the nature of problems such couples face or have been facing.
Diverse Perspectives on Gay Marriage: Relationships and Societal Views Gay marriage is a topical issue caused by different perceptions and understanding of human nature and interpersonal relations. The approaches towards gay marriage are liberal and conservative.
The Case for Legalizing Same-Sex Marriages in the USA The supporters and opponents of the idea to legalize same-sex marriages defend their positions acting as social organizations and at the Senate.
Comparing the Benefits of Marriage vs. Cohabitation in Modern Relationships The paper compares marriage and cohabitation relationship. Both relationships have the potential to become lifetime partnerships, each has its own drawbacks and benefits.
Benefits of Legalizing Same-Sex Marriages for Society The nature of same-sex marriages cannot be considered in the same light as traditional marriage institutions. Same-sex marriages can only be compared to polygamy and polyandry.
Should Gay Marriage Be Legalized?
What Are the Three Important Things in a Marriage?
Does Age Difference Matter in a Relationship or Marriage?
Does Marriage and Love Come Hand in Hand?
Does Marriage Reduce Crime?
What Are Common Problems in Marriage?
What Are the Signs of a Troubled Marriage?
What Is the Number One Problem in Marriage?
How Does Jane Austen Present Love and Marriage in “Pride and Prejudice”?
How Does Same-Sex Marriage Affects Decreasing Population Growth?
What Causes the Most Problems in Marriage?
How Does Shakespeare Present the Theme of Love and Marriage in “Much Ado About Nothing”?
How Far Would You Agree That Marriage Is Based on Social Class?
What Is the Hardest Stage of Marriage?
What Are Red Flags in a Marriage?
How Marriage Has Changed Over the Last 30 Years?
When to Call It Quits in a Marriage?
Is Marriage Still Important in Society?
What Are the Three Most Common Sources of Conflict in a Marriage?
At What Year Do Most Marriages Fail?
Should Cohabitation Before Marriage Be Encouraged?
Should Couples Live Together Before Marriage?
What Are the Five Problems of Marriage?
What Part Does the Theme of Marriage Play in “Mrs. Dalloway”?
Why Cohabitation Before Marriage Is Beneficial?
What Causes Stress in Marriage?
What Are Signs Your Marriage Is in Trouble?
What Is an Unhealthy Marriage?
What Is the Most Stressful Time for a Marriage?
Is It Better to Divorce or to Stay in Unhappily Marriage?

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StudyCorgi . "258 Marriage Essay Topics and Family Research Ideas." September 9, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/marriage-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . 2021. "258 Marriage Essay Topics and Family Research Ideas." September 9, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/marriage-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on Marriage were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on November 17, 2024 .

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118 Marriage Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Marriage is one of the oldest institutions in human history, with its roots dating back thousands of years. It is a sacred bond between two individuals, a union that is meant to last a lifetime. With such a rich history, it's no wonder that marriage has been a popular topic for essays and discussions.

If you're looking for inspiration for your next marriage essay, look no further. Below are 118 marriage essay topic ideas and examples to help you get started:

The role of marriage in society
The evolution of marriage throughout history
The benefits of marriage for individuals and society
The challenges of modern marriage
The impact of technology on marriage
The role of gender in marriage
The changing definition of marriage
The legal implications of marriage
The cultural significance of marriage
The economics of marriage
The psychology of marriage
The impact of marriage on mental health
The role of religion in marriage
The effects of marriage on children
The importance of communication in marriage
The significance of trust in marriage
The role of intimacy in marriage
The impact of infidelity on marriage
The benefits of premarital counseling
The challenges of maintaining a healthy marriage
The impact of marriage on personal identity
The role of conflict resolution in marriage
The benefits of marriage for mental health
The impact of marriage on physical health
The role of commitment in marriage
The impact of divorce on individuals and society
The benefits of marriage for financial stability
The impact of marriage on career development
The role of social media in marriage
The impact of cultural differences on marriage
The benefits of arranged marriages
The impact of age on marriage
The role of family in marriage
The impact of marriage on social status
The benefits of marriage for emotional well-being
The challenges of long-distance marriage
The impact of marriage on personal growth
The role of forgiveness in marriage
The benefits of marriage for personal development
The impact of marriage on self-esteem
The role of love in marriage
The impact of marriage on happiness
The benefits of marriage for physical health
The role of compromise in marriage
The impact of marriage on parenting
The benefits of marriage for children
The impact of marriage on career satisfaction
The role of equality in marriage
The benefits of marriage for social connections
The impact of marriage on community involvement
The role of respect in marriage
The benefits of marriage for emotional intimacy
The impact of marriage on personal fulfillment
The challenges of maintaining a work-life balance in marriage
The impact of marriage on personal values
The benefits of marriage for personal growth
The impact of marriage on personal goals
The challenges of balancing individuality and partnership in marriage
The impact of marriage on self-awareness
The role of communication in marriage
The impact of marriage on spiritual growth
The challenges of maintaining a healthy lifestyle in marriage
The impact of marriage on social connections
The role of trust in marriage
The impact of marriage on emotional well-being
The challenges of balancing work and family in marriage
The role of emotional intelligence in marriage
The challenges of balancing independence and partnership in marriage
The role of empathy in marriage

Whether you're writing a research paper, a personal essay, or a persuasive argument, these marriage essay topic ideas and examples are sure to spark your creativity and inspire a thoughtful discussion. Marriage is a complex and multifaceted institution, and there are countless angles from which to explore it. So grab your pen and paper, or fire up your laptop, and start exploring the fascinating world of marriage through the lens of these thought-provoking topics.

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344 Marriage Essay Topics & Examples

Whether you’re writing about unconventional, traditional, or arranged marriage, essay topics can be pretty handy. Consider some original ideas gathered by our experts and discuss divorce, weddings, and family in your paper.

🏆 Best Marriage Essay Examples & Topics

👍 good marriage essay topics, 💡 simple topics about marriage, ⭐ interesting research topics about marriage, 🔍 good research topics about marriage, 📌 most interesting marriage topics to write about, ❓ marriage research questions.

Christian vs. Muslim Marriages Comparison and Contrast A wedding is a civil or religious ceremony conducted in the presence of the family and friends of the bride and groom, to celebrate the beginning of their marriage.
Marriage in the Importance of Being Earnest: Analysis Although Algernon’s view on love and marriage is not known during the conversation with his butler, we get to know his thoughts on the subject in a monologue where he claims that marriage is an […]
Marriage and Alternative Family Arrangements In the selection of the marriage partners, individuals are required to adhere to the rules of endogamy as well as the rules of exogamy.
Women, Friendships, Marriage in Lynn Nottage’s “Poof!” Maybe Loureen and Florence treat their problems a little differently depending on the fact of having children or the degree to which the husband’s attitude can be tolerated. The general opinion about women and their […]
Marriage in A Midsummer Night’s Dream The main theme of the play revolves around the marriage between Thesus, the Duke of Athens, and the Queen of Amazons called Hippolyta, as well as the events that surround the married couple.
Concepts of Gay Marriage Gay marriage is an institution of marriage where people of the same sex cohabit together. These benefits are the one that make people to defend gay marriage in a court of law.
Statement for Marriage and Family Therapist Applicant My personal experience in marriage, long-term work with families within the framework of my occupational duties, and the desire to help people through life’s difficulties motivate me to become a Marriage and Family Therapist.
Early Marriage Advantages In addition to this, there is a positive correlation between marriage and the increased mental and physical well being of an individual.
Process Philosophy’s Impact on Marriage and Education The growth in the popularity of gay marriages in America provides evidence of the impact of process philosophy on government policies.
Let Me Not to the Marriage of Two Minds by William Shakespeare The reader can interpret starting lines as the response to the question of the priest in the wedding ceremony about the reasons preventing the couple from getting married The structure of the phrase “Let me […]
The Future of Marriage Although today marriage is still a significant stage in the personal life and family is discussed as the fundamental factor for the social development, the role of marriage declines, the rate of divorces increases, and […]
Marriage Equality: Same-Sex Marriage This is because it forms the basis of organization in any given society.”Marriage refers to an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the […]
“Why Marriages Fail” by Anne Roiphe It is a productive way to end the essay because people are reassured that in every situation there is a way out and it all depends on the individuals and their want to work things […]
Interracial Marriage and Emirati Identity Issues According to the Federal National Council, the prevalence of interracial marriages in the UAE is threatening Emirati women, in terms of their ability to be married by a fellow Emirati man.
Cultural Traditions: Arranged vs. Autonomous Marriage Given the aforementioned reasons, this is possible to convince people that pre-arranged marriages can be admitted as culturally permissible, and the concept of cultural relativism is an objective tool.
Qualities of Successful Marriages Faith makes great differences in marriage and this is why it is very important to share your individual beliefs and values with the partner prior to marriage in order to understand each other and plan […]
Marriage and Adultery Laws of Emperor Augustus The laws were enacted to deal with marriage avoidance, the preference for childless unions, marriage of lower class women by the Roman elite, and adultery, all of which threatened the continuity of the Roman aristocracy.
Concept of Representation of Marriage According to Louise, her marriage is fulfilling, yet emotionally, she is in a cage of inherent oppression. Moreover, Bertha alludes to the fact that she has never loved her husband in the romantic way except […]
The Marriage in Norway in the 1800s The paper reviews the tendencies of matrimonial and reproduction life in Norway in the 19th century. The research study is based on the academic peer-reviewed article that analyzes marriage in the country in the 1800s.
Marriage and Family Challenges As a rule, one of the principal reasons for a difficult adaptation is the initially inflated requirements of one of the spouses or even both of them.
Christian Marriage Rituals From the ancient times, parents of both the bride and groom were the primary parties to the marriage covenant. According to the biblical times, marriage was a legal covenant between the parents of the bride […]
Early Marriage and Its Impact on Education Given the significant impacts that early marriage has had on education, this paper builds on the available recent research to establish the extent of early marriage and its impacts on the lives of children.
Arranged Marriages: The Ethical Issues One of the misunderstandings that people have towards arranged marriages is that most people think that this type of marriage is forceful. I believe that arranged marriages are ethical, based on the philosophical theory of […]
American Marriage in transition Nevertheless, the Great Depression and the two World Wars drove women from homes into the labor market, and this had a major effect on the roles and expectations of both husbands and wives within the […]
The Pros and Cons of Gay Marriage Counteracting the argument that prohibition of gay marriage appears similar to discrimination is the idea that marriage, in the traditional understanding of the word, is the union of necessarily different sexes, a man and a […]
Marriage in Saudi Arabia The elders of the prospective bride propagated marriage in Saudi Arabia, and afterward, it was the responsibility of either the groom or the groom’s parents to propose to her father.
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell The contraries used by the poet in “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” are the backbone of this poem. The structure of “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” is the first feature of the contraries […]
Marriage in the Postmodern Society Circa 900BC, the world only knew one type of marriage, at least the Judeo-Christian history, which is the best documented type that indicates that marriage was between a man and a woman with the option […]
Interracial Marriage in the United Arab Emirates One of the main problems is the population ratio of the country. The increased presence of foreign wives in the country can create an appearance that the identity of the country changed.
From Collectivism to Individualism in Marriage A marriage that is established on a collectivist ideal tends to be focused more on the interests of the in-group more than self interests.
Biblical Marriage and Divorce – Religious Studies The outstanding fact is that the Bible discourages the practice. Divorce is harmful to both society and the Church.
The Benefits of Marriage This essay aims to identify the benefits of marriage, compare the level of happiness between married couples and cohabitors and analyze the conditions that contribute to the marriage advantage.
Interracial Marriage in the 1950s The central problem was that the period was characterized by racial segregation laws that did not allow people of a different race to attend the same restaurants, cinemas, and other public places. Moreover, parents often […]
Marriage in the Bible According to the book of genesis 1:28, after creating a man and a woman, God bestowed them with blessings and told them to “…be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and […]
Arguments against Young Marriage and Their Rebuttal For the most part, these arguments point at the current social flaws and the need to address them. Instead, such experience is acquired in the course of social interactions, which young people are engaged into […]
Marriage in The Yellow Wallpaper She has failed to recognize that she is the driver of her own life, and blame should not be put on man. Therefore, she is not able to work her creativity and ends up drawing […]
Marriage Relationships in “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” by Hemingway Harry and his wife, Helen, are stranded in Mount Kilimanjaro and their interactions reveal that their rocky relationship is a result of a mixture of frustration, incorrect decisions, getting married for wrong reasons, and unreciprocated […]
Temporary Marriage in Lebanon: Pros and Cons Supporters of temporary marriage in Lebanon argue that, since the union does not involve use of force, it cannot be termed as a violation of the right of women.
The Nature of Aristocratic Marriage and Family in the Mid-Heian Period The poorly defined Heian marriage system denied the women the ability to react and advocate for their human rights, Seidensticker Edward.
The Marriage Traditions of Wolof Culture These include the role that marriage plays in the family formation in the Wolof society, what the economic background of the plural marriages is, and which traditions describe the marriage ceremony of the Wolof culture.
Marriage and Family: Life Experience When we got married, a man was perceived to be the head of the family, and in his absence the wife was expected to guide the family.
Comparison of Marriage in Elizabethan Times and in “Othello” The man was believed to be the head of the family, and he had the legal right to punish his wife.
Marriage Vs. Living Together: Pros and Cons Marriage is simply a ceremony that was imagined and enacted by man in order to signify the decision of a man and a woman to live together in a forever sense of the word.
Interracial Marriage Explained Secondly, an interracial marriage promotes the general acceptance of people from a different race in the new society or community and also promotes the appreciation of other people’s values in the new community and their […]
Unforgiveness in Marriages and Families I think true forgiveness in the context of marital or familial relationships cannot be achieved without a complete understanding of the causes of the transgression and the reasons behind one’s inability to forgive.
Marianne Weber’s Views on Marriage Traditionally, the role of a husband was that of a breadwinner and a patriarch of the family, whereas a wife’s duties were to take care of their children and keep the family hearth.
Gay Marriage: Societal Suicide While Colson and Morse cannot neglect the need to oppose gay marriage because it destroys human society, the tone, references to the law, and the language chosen for the article help the reader understand the […]
Social Issues: Arranged Marriages Even though research has shown that some arranged marriages result in loving and stable relationships, I think it is important to give individuals the freedom to choose their partners and decide whether they are prepared […]
Marriage is Outdated and no Longer Suits Modern Lifestyles and Attitudes They do not perceive the essence of entering in to marriage when they can accomplish most of the above mentioned issues outside marriage.
Arranged Marriages are Less Successful This research aims to establish the reasons why arranged marriages are less successful when compared to love unions in the realms of commitment, passion, intimacy, and marital satisfaction.
Islamic Marriage and Divorce The family being the basic unit of a society which is also a principle in the Islamic society its genesis is the relationship between a husband and a wife.
Importance of Communication in Marriage Marriage is the first step in establishing a family and the kind of communication that exists between the partners determines the kind of family that they will establish.
Inter Caste Marriages and Mixed Identity They do not experience the practices of a particular religion due to which they are perturbed when other children know and talk about their religion and its practices with a sense of pride and belonging.
Benefits of Remarriage for Happy Life Remarriage allows a person to find love and comfort from the other partner. When a person chooses to be remarried, they would likely accumulate their financial sources to focus their economic development with the partner.
Conflict and Marriage Satisfaction To manage solving differences effectively, individuals in a marriage relationship should learn the thinking and positive and negative behaviors of their partners and have a positive perception towards these partners. This leads to unresolved conflicts […]
Marriage in Contemporary America The first notable change in the institution of marriage is that many young people are no longer treating the issue seriously. This trend is expected to continue redefining the nature of marriage in contemporary America.
Marriage: The Good, the Bad, and the Greedy To defend the role of marriage for people, the authors refer to the opinions of such researchers as David Popenoe and Linda Waite who perform as advocates of the marriage idea because it provides people […]
Five Filters of Communication in Marriage It is therefore important for a couple to be careful and aware of these filters in order to ensure that the message received is the actual message intended to be conveyed.
Same-Sex Marriage as a Positive Tendency Nowadays The festival also occurred to celebrate the legalization of same-sex marriage in all the United States by the Supreme Court. In December 2000, the first law in the world that legalized same-sex marriage was adopted […]
Marriage and Family Therapy Even though she is the one instigating therapy, she is suggesting that the therapist speaks to Leon and not her. This case, the problems is Marceline’s indecision and lack of set goals of what she […]
How to Have a Happy Marriage In life, although a number of strategies of enhancing happiness in life exist, it is important for all individuals to note that, success of these strategies depends on the commitment levels in spouses hence, the […]
Life Within Marriage: Sunni Islam vs. Orthodox Church In many Orthodox churches, marriage is positioned strictly as the union of a man and a woman. Usually, the ritual is performed in a church with the participation of friends and relatives.
The Love and Marriage Relationship Analysis This shows that the researcher was determined to obtain accurate results from the subjects with the least, and that is the strength of the research.
Traditional Marriage and Love Marriage Comparison In this paper, the pros and cons of love marriage and traditional marriage will be discussed to clarify which one is a better or just more appropriate option for modern people.
Arranged Marriage and Its Ethical Dilemma His family would be happy to see him married to the person they chose, and his father would save his reputation.
Relations and Social Distance in Kinship and Marriage All societies have rules of exogamy as they are needed to determine the relatives that are regarded as forbidden marriage and sexual partners.
Effect of Stress on Relations and Marriage Therefore, this paper had the aim of discussing the effects of stress on a marriage and relationships and how the stress can be reduced and controlled.
Cultural Differences in Arranged Marriages All the expenses of the marriage are taken care of by the parents of the couple. The reason why arranged marriages are encouraged among the Hindus is that there is utmost respect compared to marriages […]
The Meaning of Marriage: A Comparison of Articles In addition to the titles of academic journals and articles, it is possible to determine which field of science an article belongs to from its content, the language used, and the focus of the study.
Marriage and Family Problems as Social Issues Sociology as a discipline has an extremely wide range of interests and it is next to impossible even to enumerate them, however the issue that has always been of the utmost importance for the sociological […]
Effects of Same Sex Marriage to the Society Therefore, the paper will seek to elaborate on the effects of same sex marriage to the society. The number of children being raised in the available families has reduced leading to a declining population and […]
Medieval Introduction to the Basic Principles of Marriage Sovereignty Speaking of Kittredge’s interpretation of the tale told by Chaucer, it is worth mentioning that the way in which Kittredge defines the moral of the story is not the only possible way of understanding Chaucer’s […]
Child Marriages in Modern India The practice of child marriages among the Shaikh and the Rajasthan community at large has been exacerbated by the government’s reluctance in preventing it and to make the matter worst, it seems to be very […]
The Definition of Marriage The Sexual Revolution that took place in the 1960s caused sex to brazenly slip out of the boundaries of marriage. S, same-sex marriage is legal only in the states of Iowa and Massachusetts.
Argument for Gay Marriages Enacting laws that recognize gay marriages would be beneficial to the society in the sense that it promotes equal rights among members of the society.
Should Gay Marriages Be Allowed? However, there has been increased advocacy for the definition of marriage to include same-sex unions due to the prevalence of homosexual relationships in the society as well as the overwhelming acceptance of gay relationships in […]
Resolving Conflict of Interest in Marriage The quality of their family communication seems to be a source of concern for Rick, who believes they are deficient in this area.
Common Sexual Problems Experienced During a Marriage Dissatisfaction with the relationship, a lack of shared activities, old age, poor health, and daily stress also contribute to a decrease in sexual satisfaction in a marriage.
Marriage Decline Among Black Americans The marriage rate in the United States of America has generally declined in the current decade. Incarceration of the African American community has played a significant role in promoting their marriage decline for decades.
Life in Marriage or Single Life? However, in recent decades, the world has begun to actively change, society has become more inclusive, and more and more people who refuse to marry for different beliefs have begun to appear.
Marriage Types and Their Critical Components Increasingly, variations have also encompassed how one of the traditional expectations of marriage, that is, siring children, is construed and whether spouses are of the same or different sexes.
Privacy in Marriage: Rights Violations While this approach differs from the notion of the Living Constitution, which holds that the constitution should be read in the context of current times and political identities, even if such interpretation is at odds […]
Premarital Cohabitation’s Impact on Marriage Though premarital cohabitation used to be linked to an increased probability to a divorce.recent studies confirm that cohabitation enhances the power of a marriage.
The Importance of Marriage Education In such cases, the importance of attending marriage education is highlighted, the usefulness and importance of which is to provide knowledge not only about the marriage union but also in general about interaction and proper […]
Women in Marriage & Sex, Abortion, and Birth Control The historical period chosen is from the eighteenth to the twentieth century to demonstrate the advancement of social structures for women.
Creating a Survey About an Institution of Marriage If I were to create a poll or a survey, I would want to study the institution of marriage from the viewpoint of people who have gotten a divorce at least once.
Family Behaviors, Inequality, and Outside Childbearing Marriage The gap between the poor and the rich is widening in the US, making the American dream impossible for many people, especially children and families.
Taqiya and Mut’ah in Islam: The Legal Status of Mut’ah Marriage in Indonesia It is essentially a temporary contract marriage, in which a man and a woman agree to assume the roles of husband and wife for a limited period.
Institution of Marriage: The Sociological Perspectives However, sociological studies played a pivotal role in defining the main tendencies of marriage as a social institute development from the end of World War II to the current realities.
Newlyweds’ Optimistic Forecasts of Their Marriage The first instrument used was the Quality of Marriage Index, a six-item scale requiring partners to describe the level of their agreement and disagreements regarding their marriage in general.
The Supreme Court Decision on the Right to Same-Sex Marriage The decision of the Supreme Court on the constitutional right of citizens to same-sex marriage is a significant event in the history of the development of modern democratic society.
“Do Student Loans Delay Marriage?”: Participants, Measures, and Results The purpose of this article is to discover: the relationship between student loan debt and marriage in young adulthood; whether or not the relationship differs for women and men; if this relationship becomes weak over […]
Aspects of Marriage and Family Life At the time of Colonial America, during the consequent period of the emerging modern family, and after the formation of the contemporary family, the situation of this institution differed drastically.
Institution of Marriage in China Marriage is one of the oldest social institutions that regulate interpersonal and sexual relations, a society recognized by the union between spouses to create a family, giving rise to a married couple’s mutual rights and […]
How Marriage Affected the Economic Status of Women On the other hand, in Twelfth Night, written in the early XVIIth century, the reader is shown the more romantic side of a marital union.
Institution of Marriage and Its History Due to the nature and intentions of marriage, numerous definitions and viewpoints have emerged that continue to dictate what the institution ought to be.
The Church’s Attitude Toward Homosexual Marriage Erickson Millard claims that Jesus’s teaching about the permanence of marriage is based on the fact that: God made humanity as male and female and pronounced them to be one.
Future of Marriage: Non-Monogamy, People’s Needs in Marriage Another condition explaining the likelihood of the shift in the meaning and form of this institution is the fact that some of the values underpinning it remain intact.
Arranged Marriages in India According to Bertolani, marriage in Indian society is strictly arranged by the parents of potential marriage partners and does not necessarily have to involve love. Thus, arranged marriage in the context of Indian society is […]
Marriage in Muslim Cultures and America In the Muslim religion, which is most widespread in the Arabian countries and among the Arabian people, marriage is perceived differently than in the American culture.
Girls Not Brides Organization’s Commitment to Eliminate the Forced Child Marriage Graca Machel, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu are the champions of Girls Not Bride, and they advocate to end child marriage in our society.
Interracial Marriages in “Like Mexicans” by Gary Soto Therefore, Soto’s decision to marry a Japanese woman should encourage Mexican people to change their negative attitude towards other ethnic groups and practice interracial marriages.
COVID-19: How Race, Gender and Marriage Contribute to Humanity A study by Landivar et al.about the effect of the virus on gender and marriage in the US reveals that the pandemic has worsened gender inequality in employment.
“Social Attitudes Regarding Same-Sex Marriage and LGBT…” by Hatzenbuehler It relates to the fact that the scientists failed to articulate a research question in the proper form. However, it is possible to mention that the two hypotheses mitigate the adverse effect of the lacking […]
Cuban Americans Views on Marriage The representatives of different racial and ethnic groups tend to share dissimilar views regarding marriage, parenting, and divorce that are based on their cultural traditions and beliefs.
Specific Communication Styles That Make for Happy Marriages The next style of communication is submissive, characterized by a desire to please other people, and avoid conflicts by all means.
Does Marriage Bring Happiness?: Based on “The Story of an Hour” In this case, marriage is not a union of the loved ones but is a social obligation where a wife is a subject of a husband.Mr. Millard’s family seemed a perfect example of the social […]
The Defense of Marriage Act: LGBTQ + Community One of the milestones in the development of the struggle of members of the LGBTQ + community for their rights in the United States is the adoption of the Defense of Marriage Act.
Marriage and Divorce: Problems of Couples This seems to be the same stand that is taken by Paul in regards to the position of the man and the woman in the marriage, where the man seems to be the sole determinant […]
Legalization of the Same-Sex Marriage: Advantages In this particular section, I would like to find out by which percent the economy of different countries will grow when the government legalizes homosexuality due to the excess expenses that it uses in buying […]
Controversies Surrounding the Topic of Same-Sex Marriage In particular, the emergence of same-sex relations is the sign of the deinstitutionalization of the concept of marriage in society. The changes that occurred at the beginning of the 90s of the past century were […]
The Gay Marriages: Ethical and Economic Perspectives Among the key ethical dilemmas that are related to the issue in question, the conflict between religious beliefs and the necessity to provide the aforementioned services, the issue regarding the company’s needs v.its duty to […]
Marriage and Crime Reduction: Is There a Relationship? It is clear that marriage plays an integral role in reducing crime through a shift of priorities that are family centered and the transition to adulthood.
Effects of Mastectomy on Marriage This is because the husband has to deal with the fact that his wife has one breast. The husband is affected by his wife’s condition of a missing breast.
California’s Proposition 8 on Same-Sex Marriages However, in other states, obtaining the right for same sex marriages is only one of a series of the issues that have arisen since much controversy as the U.S.same sex marriages movement rose in the […]
“Why Marriages Succeed or Fail”: The “Bang” or “Whimper?” As mentioned above, it is common for people to assume that if something is wrong in a close relationship between a wife and a husband, there is a profound and apparent conflict to blame.
The Role of Marriage on the Example of Two Plays The plays Waiting for Godot and A Long Day’s Journey into Night indirectly imply the topic of the marriage’s role and how it impacts the individuals.
Stephanie Doe: Misyar Marriage as Human Trafficking in Saudi Arabia In this article, the author seeks to highlight how the practice of temporary marriages by the wealthy in Saudi Arabia, commonly known as misyar, is a form of human trafficking.
The Opinion of Americans on Whether Gay Marriage Should Be Allowed or Not Based on the political nature of the population, 43% of the democrats think, American society supports gay marriages and only 18% of the republicans hold the same view.
Millennials Say Marriage Ideal but Parenthood the Priority However, it is still believed that the joy of giving birth to a child is one of the greatest joys in life.
Doomed Marriage in “The Girls in Their Summer Dresses” by Irwin Shaw The most common answer to this question is that these people love each other. The article The Girls in Their Summer Dresses testifies to the fact that marriage is doomed.
Sexuality, Marriage, Gay Rights The supremacy of law and protection of people right lie in the heart of the protection of the freedom of personality.”Part of the basis of democratic government in the United States is a system of […]
Cross-Border Marriages Between Japan and China: Reasons and Results Besides, the statistics of Japanese men and women dissatisfied with their marriages is humbling; consequently, determined to find a more gratifying alternative, men are engaged in cross-border marriage enterprise.
Same-Sex Marriage Policy & Social Impact Reflection Creation of public policies and laws are significantly influenced by the diversity in culture forcing the government to engage with the society when developing policies.
Same‐Sex Couples, Families, and Marriage The article under consideration is a systematic review of the recent scientific literature that addresses the range of issues that same-sex couples face and the peculiarities of their inner structure.
Marriage Premium for Professional Athletes Researchers in the sphere of the labor economy agree that there is a connection between marital status and the number of wages earned by men.
Polygamy in Islam: Marriage Issues Thus, the faith of people in their prophet is also the basis and rationale for the practice of polygamy. The fact that Islam views marriage as a sacred act of goodness and mutual help is […]
“How I Met Your Mother”: Ideas of Marriage The central relationship throughout the series is Marshall and Lily’s marriage, with its ups and downs, individual quirks, and their influence on each other.
Woman’s Position in Marriage: Similarities in History With time she began to see the creeping figures in the pattern of the wallpapers in the room; with an absence of any physical and mental activity, her anxiety began to increase and resulted in […]
For Richer (Not for Poorer): The Inequality Crisis of Marriage An example of a factual claim made by the writer is where she states that the number of marriages in the United States dropped by 5% from the year 2009 to 2010.
In Defense of Marriage Act 1996 As the editorial holds, the power of the law is lower than that of the congress and therefore its application on the subject of marriage is like depriving the congress of its powers of regulating […]
Marriage in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin News about the death of her husband arises and owing to her heart problem, carefulness is vital for the one to deliver the news to her.
Effect of Same-Sex Marriage on the Legal Structure of Gender in All Marriages Despite the fact that the current article does not address the gender roles in the family, parallels can be drawn showing that in no way the institutionalization of same-sex marriage can have an effect on […]
Gender, Love and Sexuality: Healthy Marriage Formation Parties in marriage must have trust in each other because it is a basis for the growth of their union. Parties in a marriage need to be romantic as it harnesses love and loyalty.
Marriage and Mothering Challenges In the modern world, the institution of marriage and the issue of motherhood have experienced challenges due to changes in perception.
Interventions in Institution of Marriage Analysis This paper helps to understand the principles of evaluation research, the effectiveness of the intervention selected for settling marital discord and the use of evidence elicited in the research analysis for the purpose of enhancing […]
The Case Against Gay Marriage The Constitutional protection to equal rights under the law has been invoked over and over again to try and afford homosexuals “equal right” to the social institution of marriage and to social security when one […]
Marriage and Physical Well-Being The dissolution of a marriage combined with the poor quality of the marriage leading up to the divorce is associated with the decline of both mental and physical health resulting in the increased use of […]
Cohabitation Before Marriage One of the many disadvantages of cohabiting is that in this condition, you are never sure of your partner’s next move.
Irony of Marriages in an Indian Set Up On the contrary, it is a belief, which can well be attributed to the rigidity of an Indian cultural norm that forces its followers to believe that the institution of marriage is indeed a handiwork […]
Marriage and Family Systems: Western Society and Kadara of Nigeria The institution of marriage in the modern culture holds a distinct development over the years. In these cultures, marriage is negotiated by the parents of the betrothed.
Re-Thinking Homosexual Marriage in Rational and Ethical Fashion We demonstrate that the way out of the hysterical debate is to consider soberly the basis for supporting the ordinary family as the basic unit of society and protector of the next generation.
Gay Marriage and Bible: Differences From Heterosexual Practice When respected the bonds of marriage leads to the good not only of the couple and their children, but also to the good of society as a whole.
Definition of Marriage. Reward of Marriage For many years, social scientists have argued on the reward of marriage due to the distinctiveness of the populace who get married and stay married. As a result, the definition of marriage can be broadened […]
Marriage Differences in Botswana The body part discusses the history of life and marriage, marriage now, marriage in the book, the similarities and differences of life and marriage in the book and real life.
Do Young Couples Marriages Always End in Divorce? The reasons for the failure of the marriage is supposed to stem from the immaturity of the parties involved and the ill preparedness of the couple to deal with the changes that married life brings […]
Sex and Marriage Relations Analysis The problem of the modern married couples is that the notion of sex became the dominant in the relations and the faithfulness in the family is not in honor now.
The Concept of Marriage: Discussion They control their language and behavior and this is a prime example of symbolic interactionism that is instrumental in the institution of marriage.
Marriage Rates in Oklahoma and Illinois This essay dwells much in the states of Illinois and Oklahoma and the differences and the reasons for this differences will make up the body of this discussion. Marriage rate differs a lot in the […]
Interracial Marriage: History and Future Developments Sigler in- “Civil rights in America: 1500 to the present” is of the opinion that the civil rights of the citizens of America is helpful to make and end to the racial segregation in America.”Politics […]
Civil Union: Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Couples’ Marriages Once the readers are influenced by the argument it is assumed that they would move a social memorandum in favor of the argument and insist the authority to grant the gay couples the status of […]
Arranged Marriages: A Critical Analysis While discussing the points in favor of arranged marriage, the writer does not seem to have taken a stand in favor yet he has provided evidence to show that arranged marriage is an outlet for […]
Christians Holy Orders and Marriage To a great level the society itself is constitutive of the symbol, and is thus vital in calling forward the gifts of the occupation in which each individual is well-known and established in each sacrament […]
How Is Marriage Related to Health? We can only surmise how marriage is related to health, but those who have been through a lot of problems and hassles as a result of bad marriages, literally know what marriage can bring to […]
Marriage and Family: Women as Love Experts and Victims As evidenced in the case of Roberta, it is essential for women to continually reiterate emotions of love at regular intervals, in the absence of which she begins to lose faith in the very basics […]
Love, Marriage, and Divorce He weighs the possible outcomes, and mostly, these were negative elements such as discrimination of his side of the family who are expected to wait only for food and drink during the wedding, other wedding […]
Successful Marriage Conditions Research indicates that the success of long-term relationships is related both to intrinsic aspects of the relationship, such as liking one’s partner as a person, and to factors that are extrinsic to the relationship, such […]
Domestic Violence in Marriage and Family While there are enormous reports of intimate partner homicides, murders, rapes, and assaults, it is important to note that victims of all this violence find it very difficult to explain the matter and incidents to […]
The Effects of Social Media on Marriage in the UAE This paper will explore the effects of social media in its relation to marriage, highlighting both the positive and the negative effects on the individuals and society as a whole.
Gender Role Attitudes and Expectations for Marriage
First and Second Marriages: Psychological Perspective
Early Arranged Marriages in Indonesia
Child Marriage in Egypt: Changing Public Attitudes
Same-Sex Marriage Discriminatory Law in Alabama
Family, Marriage, and Parenting Concepts Nowadays
Marriage and Divorce Statistics in the United States
“The Case For Same Sex Marriage” Video by Savino
The Rejection of Marriage and Social Stability
Family Life Cycle: The Institution of Marriage
Marriage Expectations in Newlyweds
Marriage Stages: Mother and Daughter’s Interview
Marriage Process in Saudi Culture
Advices for a Happy Marriage Life
Long-Lasting Marriage and Its Psychology
Marriage: Economic, Social and Political Meanings
Interfaith Marriages in Islamic Views
The Smart Stepfamily Marriage
Infidelity in Sexual Relationships and Marriage
American Marriage Trends and Government Measures
Relationship and Marriage Coaching
Marriage and Family Class Ideas
Marriage and Politics in 3500 BC-1600 AD
Marriage Peculiarities in the United Arab Emirates
Marriage Life in the Film “The World of Apu”
High Marriage Costs in the United Arab Emirates
Marriage Decline as a Social Problem in the US
Interpersonal Communication Issues in the Marriage
Absolute Gender Equality in a Marriage
Marriage in the Films: The Mirror Has Two Faces and Sunrise
Cohabiting Before Marriage: Reasons and Benefits
Physical Health Problems in Marriage
Tthe Defense of Marriage
Sociology: Marriage and Reasons Why People Get Married
The Changing Landscape of Love and Marriage
The Miseries of Enforced Marriage
“Gay Marriages” by Michael Nava and Robert Dawidoff
Fairy Tale Marriages Are Not Real
Marriage as Depicted in Soloveitchik’s Typology of Human Nature
Family and Marriage Therapy
Assessing in the Field of Marriage and Family Therapy
Genograms Role in Family and Marriage
Boundaries in Marriage: A Healthy Marital Association
Gay Marriage’s Social and Religious Debates
Interracial Marriages in the US
Marriage and Family Therapy in Connecticut
Interview of a Marriage and Family Therapist
Gay Marriage in The UK
Marriage and Love are Incompatible
Marriage & Family Therapy
Gay Marriage: Debating the Ethics, Religion, and Culture Analytical
Marriage and Family Counselling
The Problems of Marriage and Divorce
The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
Homosexuals’ Right to Marry
The Effectiveness of Marriage Conflict Resolution Programs in the USA
Millennials Say Marriage is Ideal but Parenthood is the Priority
The Effect of Marriage on Crime Rate
Current Trends Affecting Marriage and Family Formation in Asia
The Issue of Gay Marriages: Meaning, Importance and Cons
Incest – How Did Society’s View on Consanguineous Marriage Change Throughout History and Science Development and Why
Naked Marriage and Chinese Society Research
Marriage in Early Modern Europe
Gay Marriage, Same-Sex Parenting, And America’s Children
Human Behavior: How Five General Perspectives Affect Marriage
Marriage and the Limits of Contract
Defending Gay Marriage
Relation of Gay Marriage to the Definition of Marriage
Marriage Concerns in Al-Khobar City
The Idea of Marriage: Why So Eager?
Effects of the Social, Economic and Technological Change on Marriage
Defense of Marriage Act
The Ethics of Early Marriages in the American Society
Gay Marriage: Culture, Religion, and Society
Factors Influencing Perception on Same-sex marriage in the American Society
Gay Marriages in New York
Why Gay Marriages Should Not Be Legalized?
Interracial Marriage in the U.S.
Making Marriage Work
Role of Marriage/Family & Singlehood
Anti-same-sex Marriage Laws and Amendments Violate the Constitutional Guarantees of Equality for all Citizens of the United States
Interracial Marriages and Relationships in Asian American Communities in the US
Same-sex Couples and Marriage: Causes and Claims
Children in Interracial Marriages
Gay Marriage and Parenting
Feelings about Marriage and Family Life
The Women’s Career Role in the Institution of Marriage
The Importance of Premarital Counseling Before Marriage
Reasons of the High Homosexual Marriage Rate
Gay Marriage and Decision Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Cohabitation: Is It Wrong?
Arguments for Gay Marriages
Opposition to the Legalization of Same Sex Marriage
The Concept of Same Sex Marriage and Child Adoption
Marriage and Family Imagery in the Cinematography
Religious, Governmental and Social Views on Same-Sex Marriage
Love and Marriage during the Era of Mao in Communist China
Gay Marriages: Why Not Legalize Them?
19th Century Norms of Marriage
Same-Sex Marriage: Sociopolitical
Cohabitation vs. Marriage
Monogamy as an Acceptable System of Marriage in America
Legalizing Gay Marriage: Arguments For and Against
Marriage as a Basic and Universal Social Institute
Concepts why marriage matters
Gay marriage and homosexuality
Marriage in the Modern World
Problems in Marriage – The Weakening of Families
Pre Marriage Counseling: One Year Before Getting Married
Gay Marriage Legalization
The Effect of Divorce on a Person After Long Marriage
Rebuilding Families and Marriage in America’s Society
Problems in Marriage: Is Divorce the Only Option?
American vs. Asian Marriages
Sex Marriage: Personal Opinion
What Are Factors Aid Determining Societal Norms Marriage Family?
Who Did First Love Marriage in the World?
How Does Marriage Affect Physical and Psychological Health?
How Has Same-Sex Marriage Decision of Supreme Court Impacted Lives?
What Are the Stages of Marriage?
How Does the Perspective of Gay Marriage?
Why Should Couples Not Live Together Before Marriage?
How Do Cohabitation and Marriage Effects Childhood Well?
What Are the Types of Marriage?
How Do Legal Constraints Affect Marriage and Family Formations?
How Has Marriage Changed Over the Last 30 Years?
Can a Marriage Survive Different Political Views?
Why Do People Stop Fighting for Their Marriage?
How Does Same-Sex Marriage Affect Decreasing Population Growth?
Why Do Men Change After Marriage?
Why Married Couples Drift Apart After Marriage?
Why Was Marriage Originally Created?
How Does Same-Sex Marriage Affects Society?
What Does the Bible Say About Marriage?
What Do the Parental Pressures Affect Your Own Desire for Marriage?
How Did the Utopian Communities Challenge Existing Ideas About Property and Marriage?
How Does Infidelity Affect the Marriage and Family?
How Was Marriage Back in the 1800s?
Why Should Couples Live Together Before Marriage?
How Does Infertility Effects Marriage?
How Does Interracial Marriage Affect Children?
How Similar Are Cohabitation and Marriage?
How Far Would You Agree That Marriage Is Based on Social Class?
When Marriage Loses Its Value?
What Benefits Are There of Marriage Today?
Demography Paper Topics
Constitution Research Ideas
Divorce Research Ideas
Family Problems Questions
Gender Discrimination Research Topics
Happiness Research Ideas
Same Sex Marriage Questions
Women’s Role Essay Topics
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In a growing share of u.s. marriages, husbands and wives earn about the same.

Among married couples in the United States, women’s financial contributions have grown steadily over the last half century. Even when earnings are similar, husbands spend more time on paid work and leisure, while wives devote more time to caregiving and housework.

A growing share of U.S. husbands and wives are roughly the same age

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Among unmarried adults, women without children have as much wealth as single men

In 2022, single women without children had a median wealth of $87,200, while the typical single man had $82,100.

Same-Sex Marriage Around the World

Sort through the more than 30 jurisdictions that have enacted laws allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry.

Cultural Issues and the 2024 Election

Voters who support Biden and Trump have starkly different opinions on many issues, and these two groups are divided internally as well.

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Across Asia, views of same-sex marriage vary widely

A median of 49% of people in 12 places in Asia say they at least somewhat favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally.

How people around the world view same-sex marriage

Among the 32 places surveyed, support for legal same-sex marriage is highest in Sweden, where 92% of adults favor it, and lowest in Nigeria, where only 2% back it.

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Americans are more pessimistic than optimistic about the institution of marriage and the family. At the same time, the public is fairly accepting of diverse family arrangements, though some are seen as more acceptable than others.

The Modern American Family

Key trends in marriage and family life in the United States.

About 8 in 10 women in opposite-sex marriages say they took their husband’s last name

Younger women, women with a postgraduate degree and Democratic women are more likely to keep their last name after marriage.

A record-high share of 40-year-olds in the U.S. have never been married

As of 2021, 25% of 40-year-olds in the United States had never been married, a significant increase from 20% in 2010.

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Topic: Marriage and Family: Suggested Topics

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How Modern Approaches to Relationships Decrease the Likelihood of a Healthy Marriage

Key Takeaways

Most unmarried Americans say they would like to marry, yet marriage rates in the United States have decreased steadily during the past several decades.

Delaying marriage, experimenting with multiple sexual partners, and living together before marrying contribute to this decline.

Society should work to ensure that young adults understand what leads to healthy, stable marriages and help to prepare them to build such relationships.

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Most unmarried Americans say they would like to marry, and most teenagers say that having a healthy marriage someday is very important to them. REF Yet marriage rates in the United States have decreased steadily during the past several decades.

Marriage is one of the strongest factors associated with adult happiness and is also associated with many other benefits, including increased household income, better health, and greater psychological well-being. Children raised in married-parent families are at far lower risk for negative outcomes compared to children raised in non-intact homes. REF The desire for connection and love is alive, and its benefits are many, but fewer people are marrying, and the share of people expected to marry continues to decline. REF

One of the factors behind the drop in the marriage rate is that today’s culture promotes an approach to relationships that is often antithetical to the formation of healthy marriages. Today’s prevailing cultural wisdom is that people should delay marriage, focus on individual development, experiment with multiple sexual partners, and live together before marrying. This approach fosters poorer relationship quality, greater marital instability, and reduced rates of marriage.

There has been considerable discussion with respect to loneliness and increasing levels of disconnection and purposelessness in society today. REF Single adults are more likely to experience loneliness compared to their married counterparts, and decreasing levels of marriage likely will mean more lonely Americans. REF

Leaders in a variety of settings—parents, educators, clergy, policymakers, and others—should work to ensure that young adults understand what leads to healthy, stable marriages. They should also help young adults prepare for and build healthy marriages and families, which are still the most fundamental units of society.

Trends in Marriage

Most Americans marry or hope to marry. For the past several decades, the share of high school seniors saying that having a good marriage and family life is extremely important has remained high at around 80 percent for young women and about 70 percent for young men. REF As of 2013, 95 percent of Americans had been married, were married, or said they wanted to wed. REF There has been some decline in the share of high school seniors who place a high priority on marriage, but the desire for marriage remains quite strong. Americans continue to rank family and children as the factors that provide the greatest meaning in life. REF

Nevertheless, U.S. marriage rates have dropped steadily. Up until about 1980, 90 percent of adults had married by their mid-30s. Today, only 60 percent of adults are married at that age. REF The age at first marriage continues to rise, and as marriage is delayed, fewer people end up getting married. REF It is projected that one-third of Gen Zers will not marry by the time they reach age 45 or may never marry. REF

There are benefits to some increase in age at first marriage. Those who wed in their teens are significantly more likely to divorce compared to those who wait until their early to mid-20s to marry. The decline in teen marriages during the past several decades has contributed to the decrease in divorce in recent decades. REF Delay in marriage also reflects increased educational and career opportunities, particularly for women. This has opened doors for more people, especially women, to receive higher education, develop talents, and contribute to their communities, both in the labor force and otherwise.

But the approach to relationships today says that marriage should happen only when people have completed a list of personal achievements that seems continually to grow. Education, career, travels, and hobbies are prioritized for young adults, while marriage often takes a back seat.

The delayed path to marriage that contemporary culture broadly supports is one that frequently includes multiple sexual partners and cohabitation outside of marriage. For much of the population, the delayed path to marriage also means unwed childbearing. These are all factors that decrease the likelihood of a strong marriage.

Deprioritizing Marriage

In articles providing advice to young adults, the list of what to accomplish during this stage of life includes things like finding your passions, traveling, building a career, investing financially, volunteering, establishing healthy habits, and strengthening friendships. REF It is difficult to find much, if anything, suggesting that young adults should be preparing for or seeking marriage. The dominant cultural message is that young adulthood is a time to explore, have fun, focus on oneself, and build a career. This path is to be pursued alone, with friends, or maybe with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Getting an education, establishing good habits, and starting a career are important goals for young adults, but the culture fails to acknowledge the importance and benefits of marriage.

Nor do parents seem to put a lot of emphasis on marriage for their children. In a 2023 Pew survey, only around 20 percent of parents said it is extremely or very important that their children get married, and about the same share said it is extremely or very important that their children have children of their own. In contrast, nearly 90 percent of parents in the survey said it is extremely or very important that their children are financially independent, and a similar share said it is extremely or very important that their children have jobs they enjoy when they grow up. REF

Similarly, in another 2023 Pew survey, only around a quarter of respondents said being married is extremely or very important for having a happy life, and about the same number said having children is extremely or very important for having a happy life. In contrast, 71 percent of respondents said having a job or career they enjoy is extremely or very important for having a happy life, and 61 percent said having close friends is extremely or very important for having a happy life. REF

Underpinnings of Today’s Relationship Philosophy

What has driven the shift away from a culture in which marriage and family were at the center of adult life to a culture that prioritizes individual pursuits? One contributing factor is likely elevated levels of divorce. As divorce rates increased during the 1970s and 1980s, more recent generations of young adults saw the breakup of their parents’ marriages. REF Exposure to parental divorce is associated with lower confidence in marriage and may encourage people either to avoid marriage altogether or to approach marriage with the mindset that a person must be sufficiently stable financially to go it alone if the marriage ends. REF

But high divorce rates in the 1970s and 1980s were a product of a more individualistic view of marriage that had been pushed for decades before the mid- to late 20th century. REF These beliefs were more fully realized around 1960 with the advent of the birth control pill, which facilitated major increases in sexual activity outside of marriage. This allowed people to separate sexual relationships from childbearing, and thus from the bonds of marriage relationships, more easily than had been possible when social norms required that children be born to married parents. REF Liberalized abortion laws resulting from the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision REF also helped to facilitate the disconnection between sex and marriage by giving people a backup plan they could follow if birth control failed or they failed to use birth control.

Delayed Marriage

With the disconnection of sex, marriage, and childbearing, people are encouraged to delay the commitments and responsibilities of family formation. Today’s culture tells people to put off marriage until they have accomplished multiple personal achievements. The list of expected accomplishments before marriage includes completing an education, establishing a career, purchasing a home, dating, and having sexual relationships with multiple people as well as being able to afford an elaborate wedding. REF While it is important to have some things in place before marrying, today’s prerequisites for marriage include accomplishments, such as buying a home and being established in a career, that previous generations would have expected to achieve only once they were well into establishing their families.

As noted earlier, some delay in marriage has its benefits, but there are downsides too. The risk of divorce increases for those who wait until after their late 20s to wed. REF Currently, the median age at first marriage is above 28 for women and above 30 for men, which means that many people wait until after their late 20s to marry. REF Also, as marriage is delayed, the less likely people are to get married at all. REF

Having an earlier “marital horizon” is also associated with less risky behavior, so encouraging later marriage may foster poorer behavior and behavior that can stand in the way of forming a healthy marriage down the road. College students who have a closer “marital horizon” (those who expect to marry earlier) engage in fewer risky behaviors like binge drinking and permissive sexual activity compared to their peers with later marital horizons. REF Approaching life and dating with a focus on building a marriage appears to orient people toward healthier behavior, and pushing marriage further off into adulthood may do the opposite.

Trends in Sexual Activity. One of the beliefs surrounding modern dating relationships is that non-marital sexual activity is acceptable and beneficial. The belief is that testing sexual compatibility in a relationship and having multiple sexual partners help people to know what they want and avoid marrying someone with whom they are sexually incompatible. REF

In reality, however, rather than helping to foster stronger marriages, having multiple premarital sexual partners is associated with poorer marital stability. REF Any number of premarital sexual partners is associated with increased risk for divorce, but the risk increases as the number of sexual partners grows. Researchers Jesse Smith and Nicholas H. Wolfinger have found that those with between one and eight premarital sexual partners had about 150 percent greater likelihood of divorce compared to those with no premarital sexual partners and that those with nine or more partners had about triple the likelihood of divorce compared to those with no premarital sexual partners. The researchers controlled for multiple factors, including gender, religiosity, psychological attributes, and sexual attitudes, and were led to suggest that the link between premarital sexual activity and divorce is not simply due to personal differences between those who are more sexually active and those who are less sexually active before marriage. REF

Premarital sex is also associated with poorer relationship quality. Dean M. Busby, Jason S. Carroll, and Brian J. Willoughby have found that those who wait until marriage to become sexually active with their partner have significantly higher marital quality (greater relationship satisfaction, better communication, higher sexual quality, and greater perceived stability) compared to those who become sexually involved with their partner before marrying. REF Carroll has noted that “proper partner selection is often difficult for sexually involved couples who experience strong physical rewards with each other, as these rewards can cause them to ignore or minimize deeper incompatibilities in the relationship.” REF

Despite the link with poorer marital outcomes, sexual activity outside of marriage is nearly universal today with about 90 percent of men and women having ever engaged in premarital sex. REF The median number of sex partners among sexually experienced men and women ages 25–49 is 4.3 for women and 6.3 for men according to National Survey of Family Growth data from 2015–2019. Among women ages 25–49, 53 percent reported having five or more partners during their lifetimes; among men, 67 percent reported having five or more partners during their lifetimes, and 28 percent reported having 15 or more partners. REF

Cohabitation. As sexual activity has become the norm in dating relationships, people have increasingly lived together outside of marriage. REF Cohabitation, or living together unwed, has become a common part of the dating process.

Cohabitation is a shaky path to marriage for several reasons. Despite a commonly held belief, cohabitation does not decrease the likelihood of divorce or increase the likelihood of a happy marriage. REF Instead, a broad body of research shows that cohabitation is associated with poorer marital quality and stability. REF

Part of the reason for the link between cohabitation and poorer marital outcomes may be the ambiguous nature of cohabitation. Because couples often do not make a concrete decision to live together, and because living with a partner can make it harder to end a relationship, cohabitation may increase the likelihood that some couples who are not well-suited to one another end up marrying. REF Living together before marriage may also change people’s views on marriage, reducing their positive attitudes toward marriage and increasing their acceptance of divorce. REF

Cohabitation can also keep people in a relationship that does not progress to marriage for longer than otherwise would be the case because of the greater constraints it creates (having to find a new place to live, dividing belongings, etc.). In other words, cohabitation can reduce other dating opportunities that might have greater potential for marriage. For most couples, moving in together is a matter of convenience and often not a deliberate relationship step to indicate greater commitment, despite the reality that it creates greater constraints on the relationship. REF

Research also suggests that more couples are staying in ambiguous cohabiting relationships today than in the past because cohabitation relationships have become less likely to transition to marriage, at least within several years of moving in together. Among those cohabiting from 2006–2013, only about 20 percent transitioned to marriage within five years. This is about half of the share of cohabiting relationships that transitioned to marriage among those cohabiting in 1983–1988. REF About one-third of couples in both cohorts ended their relationships within five years.

Cohabiting relationships are far less stable than marriages, so it isn’t that cohabitation has just become an alternative to marriage. REF Rather, cohabitation seems to have become an alternative to dating, a way to have some of the benefits of marriage (i.e., pooling financial resources, sharing rent, convenience) but without the same level of commitment and stability that comes with it. REF

Additionally, cohabitation has lengthened the path to marriage considerably for couples who do end up marrying. REF In the 1960s (and before), few couples lived together before marriage. By the 1970s, couples lived together for a median of a few months before getting married. As of the 2010s, couples spent a median of more than three years cohabiting before their weddings. REF

Family Complexity Created by Unwed Childbearing. As sexual activity and cohabitation outside of marriage have become common, unwed births have increased dramatically, particularly among Americans without a college education. Today, 40 percent of children are born to unwed mothers. Among those mothers with less than a college education, the majority of births are outside of marriage today. REF

Women who have children outside of marriage are less likely to marry compared to those who do not have an unwed birth, even controlling for factors like education. REF This could be for a variety of reasons, but researchers suggest that it may be due to single mothers having less time to date, as well as to potential partners being disinterested in raising another man’s children. REF Unwed childbearing also creates greater relationship complexity if a parent does re-partner or remarry (blending families in a new relationship), which can be stressful. REF There also are substantial marriage penalties in the welfare system that incentivize lower-income mothers to remain unmarried. REF

Cultivating a Culture of Strong and Healthy Marriages

Today’s relationship culture often makes it harder for people to form and build healthy relationships and marriages. Although most people do marry, a growing number are struggling to form healthy marriages, leaving more people disconnected and unable to fulfill their desire for a happy family life, especially having children. The culture should encourage norms that direct people toward healthy, stable marriages rather than continuing to promote behaviors that are antithetical to this goal.

This will begin at home. Parents often emphasize financial and career success for their children but may neglect encouraging their children to prepare for and prioritize marriage. Parents should help their children to understand what factors contribute to healthy dating and marriage relationships. Parents should also refrain from discouraging their adult children from marrying in their early or mid-twenties if their children find someone with whom they can build a healthy marriage.

Schools should support parents in these efforts by providing education to high schoolers on healthy dating and marriage relationships. These courses should include information on avoiding poor relationship decisions and the consequences of having multiple sexual partners in addition to teaching students about the benefits of healthy marriages and what a healthy marriage looks like. Curricula should also teach youth how to avoid unhealthy and abusive dating relationships, as well as how to build and cultivate friendship in dating, and provide instruction in such skills as conflict management, communication, and budgeting. Some states have offered courses like this in their high schools. Utah, for example, offers its Adult Roles and Responsibilities curriculum, and Texas has implemented its PAPA (Parenting and Paternity Awareness) program. REF

Colleges and universities could help to foster healthy relationships and marriages by offering relationship education courses or workshops. Some schools provide this education as an individual course, as part of another course, or through lecture series. REF

Churches and other houses of worship should also provide healthy marriage and relationship education to young adults as well as education and mentoring for premarital and married couples. While some churches provide marriage and family life education, many have no formal marriage education course or ministry. REF Religious organizations could also sponsor activities that give young adults opportunities to meet and socialize in environments that support healthy dating relationships.

Today’s culture places heavy emphasis on personal development, education, and career success but often neglects the importance of healthy relationships and marriages. Yet, a healthy marriage is one of the greatest sources of happiness and well-being. Helping people to succeed in building and sustaining healthy marriages is a pathway to greater happiness, connection, and human flourishing.

Rachel Sheffield is Research Fellow for Welfare and Family Policy in the Center for Health and Welfare Policy at The Heritage Foundation.

Research Fellow, Center for Health and Welfare Policy

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Family Relationships and Well-Being

Patricia a thomas , phd, hui liu , phd, debra umberson , phd.

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Address correspondence to: Patricia A. Thomas, PhD, Department of Sociology, Purdue University, 700 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907. E-mail: [email protected]

Collection date 2017 Nov.

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs licence ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ), which permits non-commercial reproduction and distribution of the work, in any medium, provided the original work is not altered or transformed in any way, and that the work is properly cited. For commercial re-use, please contact [email protected]

Family relationships are enduring and consequential for well-being across the life course. We discuss several types of family relationships—marital, intergenerational, and sibling ties—that have an important influence on well-being. We highlight the quality of family relationships as well as diversity of family relationships in explaining their impact on well-being across the adult life course. We discuss directions for future research, such as better understanding the complexities of these relationships with greater attention to diverse family structures, unexpected benefits of relationship strain, and unique intersections of social statuses.

Keywords: Caregiver stress, Gender issues, Intergenerational, Social support, Well-being

Translational Significance

It is important for future research and health promotion policies to take into account complexities in family relationships, paying attention to family context, diversity of family structures, relationship quality, and intersections of social statuses in an aging society to provide resources to families to reduce caregiving burdens and benefit health and well-being.

For better and for worse, family relationships play a central role in shaping an individual’s well-being across the life course ( Merz, Consedine, Schulze, & Schuengel, 2009 ). An aging population and concomitant age-related disease underlies an emergent need to better understand factors that contribute to health and well-being among the increasing numbers of older adults in the United States. Family relationships may become even more important to well-being as individuals age, needs for caregiving increase, and social ties in other domains such as the workplace become less central in their lives ( Milkie, Bierman, & Schieman, 2008 ). In this review, we consider key family relationships in adulthood—marital, parent–child, grandparent, and sibling relationships—and their impact on well-being across the adult life course.

We begin with an overview of theoretical explanations that point to the primary pathways and mechanisms through which family relationships influence well-being, and then we describe how each type of family relationship is associated with well-being, and how these patterns unfold over the adult life course. In this article, we use a broad definition of well-being, including multiple dimensions such as general happiness, life satisfaction, and good mental and physical health, to reflect the breadth of this concept’s use in the literature. We explore important directions for future research, emphasizing the need for research that takes into account the complexity of relationships, diverse family structures, and intersections of structural locations.

Pathways Linking Family Relationships to Well-Being

A life course perspective draws attention to the importance of linked lives, or interdependence within relationships, across the life course ( Elder, Johnson, & Crosnoe, 2003 ). Family members are linked in important ways through each stage of life, and these relationships are an important source of social connection and social influence for individuals throughout their lives ( Umberson, Crosnoe, & Reczek, 2010 ). Substantial evidence consistently shows that social relationships can profoundly influence well-being across the life course ( Umberson & Montez, 2010 ). Family connections can provide a greater sense of meaning and purpose as well as social and tangible resources that benefit well-being ( Hartwell & Benson, 2007 ; Kawachi & Berkman, 2001 ).

The quality of family relationships, including social support (e.g., providing love, advice, and care) and strain (e.g., arguments, being critical, making too many demands), can influence well-being through psychosocial, behavioral, and physiological pathways. Stressors and social support are core components of stress process theory ( Pearlin, 1999 ), which argues that stress can undermine mental health while social support may serve as a protective resource. Prior studies clearly show that stress undermines health and well-being ( Thoits, 2010 ), and strains in relationships with family members are an especially salient type of stress. Social support may provide a resource for coping that dulls the detrimental impact of stressors on well-being ( Thoits, 2010 ), and support may also promote well-being through increased self-esteem, which involves more positive views of oneself ( Fukukawa et al., 2000 ). Those receiving support from their family members may feel a greater sense of self-worth, and this enhanced self-esteem may be a psychological resource, encouraging optimism, positive affect, and better mental health ( Symister & Friend, 2003 ). Family members may also regulate each other’s behaviors (i.e., social control) and provide information and encouragement to behave in healthier ways and to more effectively utilize health care services ( Cohen, 2004 ; Reczek, Thomeer, Lodge, Umberson, & Underhill, 2014 ), but stress in relationships may also lead to health-compromising behaviors as coping mechanisms to deal with stress ( Ng & Jeffery, 2003 ). The stress of relationship strain can result in physiological processes that impair immune function, affect the cardiovascular system, and increase risk for depression ( Graham, Christian, & Kiecolt-Glaser, 2006 ; Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton, 2001 ), whereas positive relationships are associated with lower allostatic load (i.e., “wear and tear” on the body accumulating from stress) ( Seeman, Singer, Ryff, Love, & Levy-Storms, 2002 ). Clearly, the quality of family relationships can have considerable consequences for well-being.

Marital Relationships

A life course perspective has posited marital relationships as one of the most important relationships that define life context and in turn affect individuals’ well-being throughout adulthood ( Umberson & Montez, 2010 ). Being married, especially happily married, is associated with better mental and physical health ( Carr & Springer, 2010 ; Umberson, Williams, & Thomeer, 2013 ), and the strength of the marital effect on health is comparable to that of other traditional risk factors such as smoking and obesity ( Sbarra, 2009 ). Although some studies emphasize the possibility of selection effects, suggesting that individuals in better health are more likely to be married ( Lipowicz, 2014 ), most researchers emphasize two theoretical models to explain why marital relationships shape well-being: the marital resource model and the stress model ( Waite & Gallager, 2000 ; Williams & Umberson, 2004 ). The marital resource model suggests that marriage promotes well-being through increased access to economic, social, and health-promoting resources ( Rendall, Weden, Favreault, & Waldron, 2011 ; Umberson et al., 2013 ). The stress model suggests that negative aspects of marital relationships such as marital strain and marital dissolutions create stress and undermine well-being ( Williams & Umberson, 2004 ), whereas positive aspects of marital relationships may prompt social support, enhance self-esteem, and promote healthier behaviors in general and in coping with stress ( Reczek, Thomeer, et al., 2014 ; Symister & Friend, 2003 ; Waite & Gallager, 2000 ). Marital relationships also tend to become more salient with advancing age, as other social relationships such as those with family members, friends, and neighbors are often lost due to geographic relocation and death in the later part of the life course ( Liu & Waite, 2014 ).

Married people, on average, enjoy better mental health, physical health, and longer life expectancy than divorced/separated, widowed, and never-married people ( Hughes & Waite, 2009 ; Simon, 2002 ), although the health gap between the married and never married has decreased in the past few decades ( Liu & Umberson, 2008 ). Moreover, marital links to well-being depend on the quality of the relationship; those in distressed marriages are more likely to report depressive symptoms and poorer health than those in happy marriages ( Donoho, Crimmins, & Seeman, 2013 ; Liu & Waite, 2014 ; Umberson, Williams, Powers, Liu, & Needham, 2006 ), whereas a happy marriage may buffer the effects of stress via greater access to emotional support ( Williams, 2003 ). A number of studies suggest that the negative aspects of close relationships have a stronger impact on well-being than the positive aspects of relationships (e.g., Rook, 2014 ), and past research shows that the impact of marital strain on health increases with advancing age ( Liu & Waite, 2014 ; Umberson et al., 2006 ).

Prior studies suggest that marital transitions, either into or out of marriage, shape life context and affect well-being ( Williams & Umberson, 2004 ). National longitudinal studies provide evidence that past experiences of divorce and widowhood are associated with increased risk of heart disease in later life especially among women, irrespective of current marital status ( Zhang & Hayward, 2006 ), and longer duration of divorce or widowhood is associated with a greater number of chronic conditions and mobility limitations ( Hughes & Waite, 2009 ; Lorenz, Wickrama, Conger, & Elder, 2006 ) but only short-term declines in mental health ( Lee & Demaris, 2007 ). On the other hand, entry into marriages, especially first marriages, improves psychological well-being and decreases depression ( Frech & Williams, 2007 ; Musick & Bumpass, 2012 ), although the benefits of remarriage may not be as large as those that accompany a first marriage ( Hughes & Waite, 2009 ). Taken together, these studies show the importance of understanding the lifelong cumulative impact of marital status and marital transitions.

Gender Differences

Gender is a central focus of research on marital relationships and well-being and an important determinant of life course experiences ( Bernard, 1972 ; Liu & Waite, 2014 ; Zhang & Hayward, 2006 ). A long-observed pattern is that men receive more physical health benefits from marriage than women, and women are more psychologically and physiologically vulnerable to marital stress than men ( Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton, 2001 ; Revenson et al., 2016 ; Simon, 2002 ; Williams, 2004 ). Women tend to receive more financial benefits from their typically higher-earning male spouse than do men, but men generally receive more health promotion benefits such as emotional support and regulation of health behaviors from marriage than do women ( Liu & Umberson, 2008 ; Liu & Waite, 2014 ). This is because within a traditional marriage, women tend to take more responsibility for maintaining social connections to family and friends, and are more likely to provide emotional support to their husband, whereas men are more likely to receive emotional support and enjoy the benefit of expanded social networks—all factors that may promote husbands’ health and well-being ( Revenson et al., 2016 ).

However, there is mixed evidence regarding whether men’s or women’s well-being is more affected by marriage. On the one hand, a number of studies have documented that marital status differences in both mental and physical health are greater for men than women ( Liu & Umberson, 2008 ; Sbarra, 2009 ). For example, Williams and Umberson (2004) found that men’s health improves more than women’s from entering marriage. On the other hand, a number of studies reveal stronger effects of marital strain on women’s health than men’s including more depressive symptoms, increases in cardiovascular health risk, and changes in hormones ( Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton, 2001 ; Liu & Waite, 2014 ; Liu, Waite, & Shen, 2016 ). Yet, other studies found no gender differences in marriage and health links (e.g., Umberson et al., 2006 ). The mixed evidence regarding gender differences in the impact of marital relationships on well-being may be attributed to different study samples (e.g., with different age groups) and variations in measurements and methodologies. More research based on representative longitudinal samples is clearly warranted to contribute to this line of investigation.

Race-Ethnicity and SES Heterogeneity

Family scholars argue that marriage has different meanings and dynamics across socioeconomic status (SES) and racial-ethnic groups due to varying social, economic, historical, and cultural contexts. Therefore, marriage may be associated with well-being in different ways across these groups. For example, women who are black or lower SES may be less likely than their white, higher SES counterparts to increase their financial capital from relationship unions because eligible men in their social networks are more socioeconomically challenged ( Edin & Kefalas, 2005 ). Some studies also find that marital quality is lower among low SES and black couples than white couples with higher SES ( Broman, 2005 ). This may occur because the former groups face more stress in their daily lives throughout the life course and these higher levels of stress undermine marital quality ( Umberson, Williams, Thomas, Liu, & Thomeer, 2014 ). Other studies, however, suggest stronger effects of marriage on the well-being of black adults than white adults. For example, black older adults seem to benefit more from marriage than older whites in terms of chronic conditions and disability ( Pienta, Hayward, & Jenkins, 2000 ).

Directions for Future Research

The rapid aging of the U.S. population along with significant changes in marriage and families indicate that a growing number of older adults enter late life with both complex marital histories and great heterogeneity in their relationships. While most research to date focuses on different-sex marriages, a growing body of research has started to examine whether the marital advantage in health and well-being is extended to same-sex couples, which represents a growing segment of relationship types among older couples ( Denney, Gorman, & Barrera, 2013 ; Goldsen et al., 2017 ; Liu, Reczek, & Brown, 2013 ; Reczek, Liu, & Spiker, 2014 ). Evidence shows that same-sex cohabiting couples report worse health than different-sex married couples ( Denney et al., 2013 ; Liu et al., 2013 ), but same-sex married couples are often not significantly different from or are even better off than different-sex married couples in other outcomes such as alcohol use ( Reczek, Liu, et al., 2014 ) and care from their partner during periods of illness ( Umberson, Thomeer, Reczek, & Donnelly, 2016 ). These results suggest that marriage may promote the well-being of same-sex couples, perhaps even more so than for different-sex couples ( Umberson et al., 2016 ). Including same-sex couples in future work on marriage and well-being will garner unique insights into gender differences in marital dynamics that have long been taken for granted based on studies of different-sex couples ( Umberson, Thomeer, Kroeger, Lodge, & Xu, 2015 ). Moreover, future work on same-sex and different-sex couples should take into account the intersection of other statuses such as race-ethnicity and SES to better understand the impact of marital relationships on well-being.

Another avenue for future research involves investigating complexities of marital strain effects on well-being. Some recent studies among older adults suggest that relationship strain may actually benefit certain dimensions of well-being. These studies suggest that strain with a spouse may be protective for certain health outcomes including cognitive decline ( Xu, Thomas, & Umberson, 2016 ) and diabetes control ( Liu et al., 2016 ), while support may not be, especially for men ( Carr, Cornman, & Freedman, 2016 ). Explanations for these unexpected findings among older adults are not fully understood. Family and health scholars suggest that spouses may prod their significant others to engage in more health-promoting behaviors ( Umberson, Crosnoe, et al., 2010 ). These attempts may be a source of friction, creating strain in the relationship; however, this dynamic may still contribute to better health outcomes for older adults. Future research should explore the processes by which strain may have a positive influence on health and well-being, perhaps differently by gender.

Intergenerational Relationships

Children and parents tend to remain closely connected to each other across the life course, and it is well-established that the quality of intergenerational relationships is central to the well-being of both generations ( Merz, Schuengel, & Schulze, 2009 ; Polenick, DePasquale, Eggebeen, Zarit, & Fingerman, 2016 ). Recent research also points to the importance of relationships with grandchildren for aging adults ( Mahne & Huxhold, 2015 ). We focus here on the well-being of parents, adult children, and grandparents. Parents, grandparents, and children often provide care for each other at different points in the life course, which can contribute to social support, stress, and social control mechanisms that influence the health and well-being of each in important ways over the life course ( Nomaguchi & Milkie, 2003 ; Pinquart & Soerensen, 2007 ; Reczek, Thomeer, et al., 2014 ).

Family scholarship highlights the complexities of parent–child relationships, finding that parenthood generates both rewards and stressors, with important implications for well-being ( Nomaguchi & Milkie, 2003 ; Umberson, Pudrovska, & Reczek, 2010 ). Parenthood increases time constraints, producing stress and diminishing well-being, especially when children are younger ( Nomaguchi, Milkie, & Bianchi, 2005 ), but parenthood can also increase social integration, leading to greater emotional support and a sense of belonging and meaning ( Berkman, Glass, Brissette, & Seeman, 2000 ), with positive consequences for well-being. Studies show that adult children play a pivotal role in the social networks of their parents across the life course ( Umberson, Pudrovska, et al., 2010 ), and the effects of parenthood on health and well-being become increasingly important at older ages as adult children provide one of the major sources of care for aging adults ( Seltzer & Bianchi, 2013 ). Norms of filial obligation of adult children to care for parents may be a form of social capital to be accessed by parents when their needs arise ( Silverstein, Gans, & Yang, 2006 ).

Although the general pattern is that receiving support from adult children is beneficial for parents’ well-being ( Merz, Schulze, & Schuengel, 2010 ), there is also evidence showing that receiving social support from adult children is related to lower well-being among older adults, suggesting that challenges to an identity of independence and usefulness may offset some of the benefits of receiving support ( Merz et al., 2010 ; Thomas, 2010 ). Contrary to popular thought, older parents are also very likely to provide instrumental/financial support to their adult children, typically contributing more than they receive ( Grundy, 2005 ), and providing emotional support to their adult children is related to higher well-being for older adults ( Thomas, 2010 ). In addition, consistent with the tenets of stress process theory, most evidence points to poor quality relationships with adult children as detrimental to parents’ well-being ( Koropeckyj-Cox, 2002 ; Polenick et al., 2016 ); however, a recent study found that strain with adult children is related to better cognitive health among older parents, especially fathers ( Thomas & Umberson, 2017 ).

Adult Children

As children and parents age, the nature of the parent–child relationship often changes such that adult children may take on a caregiving role for their older parents ( Pinquart & Soerensen, 2007 ). Adult children often experience competing pressures of employment, taking care of their own children, and providing care for older parents ( Evans et al., 2016 ). Support and strain from intergenerational ties during this stressful time of balancing family roles and work obligations may be particularly important for the mental health of adults in midlife ( Thomas, 2016 ). Most evidence suggests that caregiving for parents is related to lower well-being for adult children, including more negative affect and greater stress response in terms of overall output of daily cortisol ( Bangerter et al., 2017 ); however, some studies suggest that caregiving may be beneficial or neutral for well-being ( Merz et al., 2010 ). Family scholars suggest that this discrepancy may be due to varying types of caregiving and relationship quality. For example, providing emotional support to parents can increase well-being, but providing instrumental support does not unless the caregiver is emotionally engaged ( Morelli, Lee, Arnn, & Zaki, 2015 ). Moreover, the quality of the adult child-parent relationship may matter more for the well-being of adult children than does the caregiving they provide ( Merz, Schuengel, et al., 2009 ).

Although caregiving is a critical issue, adult children generally experience many years with parents in good health ( Settersten, 2007 ), and relationship quality and support exchanges have important implications for well-being beyond caregiving roles. The preponderance of research suggests that most adults feel emotionally close to their parents, and emotional support such as encouragement, companionship, and serving as a confidant is commonly exchanged in both directions ( Swartz, 2009 ). Intergenerational support exchanges often flow across generations or towards adult children rather than towards parents. For example, adult children are more likely to receive financial support from parents than vice versa until parents are very old ( Grundy, 2005 ). Intergenerational support exchanges are integral to the lives of both parents and adult children, both in times of need and in daily life.

Grandparents

Over 65 million Americans are grandparents ( Ellis & Simmons, 2014 ), 10% of children lived with at least one grandparent in 2012 ( Dunifon, Ziol-Guest, & Kopko, 2014 ), and a growing number of American families rely on grandparents as a source of support ( Settersten, 2007 ), suggesting the importance of studying grandparenting. Grandparents’ relationships with their grandchildren are generally related to higher well-being for both grandparents and grandchildren, with some important exceptions such as when they involve more extensive childcare responsibilities ( Kim, Kang, & Johnson-Motoyama, 2017 ; Lee, Clarkson-Hendrix, & Lee, 2016 ). Most grandparents engage in activities with their grandchildren that they find meaningful, feel close to their grandchildren, consider the grandparent role important ( Swartz, 2009 ), and experience lower well-being if they lose contact with their grandchildren ( Drew & Silverstein, 2007 ). However, a growing proportion of children live in households maintained by grandparents ( Settersten, 2007 ), and grandparents who care for their grandchildren without the support of the children’s parents usually experience greater stress ( Lee et al., 2016 ) and more depressive symptoms ( Blustein, Chan, & Guanais, 2004 ), sometimes juggling grandparenting responsibilities with their own employment ( Harrington Meyer, 2014 ). Using professional help and community services reduced the detrimental effects of grandparent caregiving on well-being ( Gerard, Landry-Meyer, & Roe, 2006 ), suggesting that future policy could help mitigate the stress of grandparent parenting and enhance the rewarding aspects of grandparenting instead.

Substantial evidence suggests that the experience of intergenerational relationships varies for men and women. Women tend to be more involved with and affected by intergenerational relationships, with adult children feeling closer to mothers than fathers ( Swartz, 2009 ). Moreover, relationship quality with children is more strongly associated with mothers’ well-being than with fathers’ well-being ( Milkie et al., 2008 ). Motherhood may be particularly salient to women ( McQuillan, Greil, Shreffler, & Tichenor, 2008 ), and women carry a disproportionate share of the burden of parenting, including greater caregiving for young children and aging parents as well as time deficits from these obligations that lead to lower well-being ( Nomaguchi et al., 2005 ; Pinquart & Sorensen, 2006 ). Mothers often report greater parental pressures than fathers, such as more obligation to be there for their children ( Reczek, Thomeer, et al., 2014 ; Stone, 2007 ), and to actively work on family relationships ( Erickson, 2005 ). Mothers are also more likely to blame themselves for poor parent–child relationship quality ( Elliott, Powell, & Brenton, 2015 ), contributing to greater distress for women. It is important to take into account the different pressures and meanings surrounding intergenerational relationships for men and for women in future research.

Family scholars have noted important variations in family dynamics and constraints by race-ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Lower SES can produce and exacerbate family strains ( Conger, Conger, & Martin, 2010 ). Socioeconomically disadvantaged adult children may need more assistance from parents and grandparents who in turn have fewer resources to provide ( Seltzer & Bianchi, 2013 ). Higher SES and white families tend to provide more financial and emotional support, whereas lower SES, black, and Latino families are more likely to coreside and provide practical help, and these differences in support exchanges contribute to the intergenerational transmission of inequality through families ( Swartz, 2009 ). Moreover, scholars have found that a happiness penalty exists such that parents of young children have lower levels of well-being than nonparents; however, policies such as childcare subsidies and paid time off that help parents negotiate work and family responsibilities explain this disparity ( Glass, Simon, & Andersson, 2016 ). Fewer resources can also place strain on grandparent–grandchild relationships. For example, well-being derived from these relationships may be unequally distributed across grandparents’ education level such that those with less education bear the brunt of more stressful grandparenting experiences and lower well-being ( Mahne & Huxhold, 2015 ). Both the burden of parenting grandchildren and its effects on depressive symptoms disproportionately fall upon single grandmothers of color ( Blustein et al., 2004 ). These studies demonstrate the importance of understanding structural constraints that produce greater stress for less advantaged groups and their impact on family relationships and well-being.

Research on intergenerational relationships suggests the importance of understanding greater complexity in these relationships in future work. For example, future research should pay greater attention to diverse family structures and perspectives of multiple family members. There is an increasing trend of individuals delaying childbearing or choosing not to bear children ( Umberson, Pudrovska, et al., 2010 ). How might this influence marital quality and general well-being over the life course and across different social groups? Greater attention to the quality and context of intergenerational relationships from each family member’s perspective over time may prove fruitful by gaining both parents’ and each child’s perceptions. This work has already yielded important insights, such as the ways in which intergenerational ambivalence (simultaneous positive and negative feelings about intergenerational relationships) from the perspectives of parents and adult children may be detrimental to well-being for both parties ( Fingerman, Pitzer, Lefkowitz, Birditt, & Mroczek, 2008 ; Gilligan, Suitor, Feld, & Pillemer, 2015 ). Future work understanding the perspectives of each family member could also provide leverage in understanding the mixed findings regarding whether living in blended families with stepchildren influences well-being ( Gennetian, 2005 ; Harcourt, Adler-Baeder, Erath, & Pettit, 2013 ) and the long-term implications of these family structures when older adults need care ( Seltzer & Bianchi, 2013 ). Longitudinal data linking generations, paying greater attention to the context of these relationships, and collected from multiple family members can help untangle the ways in which family members influence each other across the life course and how multiple family members’ well-being may be intertwined in important ways.

Future studies should also consider the impact of intersecting structural locations that place unique constraints on family relationships, producing greater stress at some intersections while providing greater resources at other intersections. For example, same-sex couples are less likely to have children ( Carpenter & Gates, 2008 ) and are more likely to provide parental caregiving regardless of gender ( Reczek & Umberson, 2016 ), suggesting important implications for stress and burden in intergenerational caregiving for this group. Much of the work on gender, sexuality, race, and socioeconomic status differences in intergenerational relationships and well-being examine one or two of these statuses, but there may be unique effects at the intersection of these and other statuses such as disability, age, and nativity. Moreover, these effects may vary at different stages of the life course.

Sibling Relationships

Sibling relationships are understudied, and the research on adult siblings is more limited than for other family relationships. Yet, sibling relationships are often the longest lasting family relationship in an individual’s life due to concurrent life spans, and indeed, around 75% of 70-year olds have a living sibling ( Settersten, 2007 ). Some suggest that sibling relationships play a more meaningful role in well-being than is often recognized ( Cicirelli, 2004 ). The available evidence suggests that high quality relationships characterized by closeness with siblings are related to higher levels of well-being ( Bedford & Avioli, 2001 ), whereas sibling relationships characterized by conflict and lack of closeness have been linked to lower well-being in terms of major depression and greater drug use in adulthood ( Waldinger, Vaillant, & Orav, 2007 ). Parental favoritism and disfavoritism of children affects the closeness of siblings ( Gilligan, Suitor, & Nam, 2015 ) and depression ( Jensen, Whiteman, Fingerman, & Birditt, 2013 ). Similar to other family relationships, sibling relationships can be characterized by both positive and negative aspects that may affect elements of the stress process, providing both resources and stressors that influence well-being.

Siblings play important roles in support exchanges and caregiving, especially if their sibling experiences physical impairment and other close ties, such as a spouse or adult children, are not available ( Degeneffe & Burcham, 2008 ; Namkung, Greenberg, & Mailick, 2017 ). Although sibling caregivers report lower well-being than noncaregivers, sibling caregivers experience this lower well-being to a lesser extent than spousal caregivers ( Namkung et al., 2017 ). Most people believe that their siblings would be available to help them in a crisis ( Connidis, 1994 ; Van Volkom, 2006 ), and in general support exchanges, receiving emotional support from a sibling is related to higher levels of well-being among older adults ( Thomas, 2010 ). Relationship quality affects the experience of caregiving, with higher quality sibling relationships linked to greater provision of care ( Eriksen & Gerstel, 2002 ) and a lower likelihood of emotional strain from caregiving ( Mui & Morrow-Howell, 1993 ; Quinn, Clare, & Woods, 2009 ). Taken together, these studies suggest the importance of sibling relationships for well-being across the adult life course.

The gender of the sibling dyad may play a role in the relationship’s effect on well-being, with relationships with sisters perceived as higher quality and linked to higher well-being ( Van Volkom, 2006 ), though some argue that brothers do not show their affection in the same way but nevertheless have similar sentiments towards their siblings ( Bedford & Avioli, 2001 ). General social support exchanges with siblings may be influenced by gender and larger family context; sisters exchanged more support with their siblings when they had higher quality relationships with their parents, but brothers exhibited a more compensatory role, exchanging more emotional support with siblings when they had lower quality relationships with their parents ( Voorpostel & Blieszner, 2008 ). Caregiving for aging parents is also distributed differently by gender, falling disproportionately on female siblings ( Pinquart & Sorensen, 2006 ), and sons provide less care to their parents if they have a sister ( Grigoryeva, 2017 ). However, men in same-sex marriages were more likely than men in different-sex marriages to provide caregiving to parents and parents-in-law ( Reczek & Umberson, 2016 ), which may ease the stress and burden on their female siblings.

Although there is less research in this area, family scholars have noted variations in sibling relationships and their effects by race-ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Lower socioeconomic status has been associated with reports of feeling less attached to siblings and this influences several outcomes such as obesity, depression, and substance use ( Van Gundy et al., 2015 ). Fewer socioeconomic resources can also limit the amount of care siblings provide ( Eriksen & Gerstel, 2002 ). These studies suggest sibling relationship quality as an axis of further disadvantage for already disadvantaged individuals. Sibling relationships may influence caregiving experiences by race as well, with black caregivers more likely to have siblings who also provide care to their parents than white caregivers ( White-Means & Rubin, 2008 ) and sibling caregiving leading to lower well-being among white caregivers than minority caregivers ( Namkung et al., 2017 ).

Research on within-family differences has made great strides in our understanding of family relationships and remains a fruitful area of growth for future research (e.g., Suitor et al., 2017 ). Data gathered on multiple members within the same family can help researchers better investigate how families influence well-being in complex ways, including reciprocal influences between siblings. Siblings may have different perceptions of their relationships with each other, and this may vary by gender and other social statuses. This type of data might be especially useful in understanding family effects in diverse family structures, such as differences in treatment and outcomes of biological versus stepchildren, how characteristics of their relationships such as age differences may play a role, and the implications for caregiving for aging parents and for each other. Moreover, it is important to use longitudinal data to understand the consequences of these within-family differences over time as the life course unfolds. In addition, a greater focus on heterogeneity in sibling relationships and their consequences at the intersection of gender, race-ethnicity, SES, and other social statuses merit further investigation.

Relationships with family members are significant for well-being across the life course ( Merz, Consedine, et al., 2009 ; Umberson, Pudrovska, et al., 2010 ). As individuals age, family relationships often become more complex, with sometimes complicated marital histories, varying relationships with children, competing time pressures, and obligations for care. At the same time, family relationships become more important for well-being as individuals age and social networks diminish even as family caregiving needs increase. Stress process theory suggests that the positive and negative aspects of relationships can have a large impact on the well-being of individuals. Family relationships provide resources that can help an individual cope with stress, engage in healthier behaviors, and enhance self-esteem, leading to higher well-being. However, poor relationship quality, intense caregiving for family members, and marital dissolution are all stressors that can take a toll on an individual’s well-being. Moreover, family relationships also change over the life course, with the potential to share different levels of emotional support and closeness, to take care of us when needed, to add varying levels of stress to our lives, and to need caregiving at different points in the life course. The potential risks and rewards of these relationships have a cumulative impact on health and well-being over the life course. Additionally, structural constraints and disadvantage place greater pressures on some families than others based on structural location such as gender, race, and SES, producing further disadvantage and intergenerational transmission of inequality.

Future research should take into account greater complexity in family relationships, diverse family structures, and intersections of social statuses. The rapid aging of the U.S. population along with significant changes in marriage and families suggest more complex marital and family histories as adults enter late life, which will have a large impact on family dynamics and caregiving. Growing segments of family relationships among older adults include same-sex couples, those without children, and those experiencing marital transitions leading to diverse family structures, which all merit greater attention in future research. Moreover, there is some evidence that strain in relationships can be beneficial for certain health outcomes, and the processes by which this occurs merit further investigation. A greater use of longitudinal data that link generations and obtain information from multiple family members will help researchers better understand the ways in which these complex family relationships unfold across the life course and shape well-being. We also highlighted gender, race-ethnicity, and socioeconomic status differences in each of these family relationships and their impact on well-being; however, many studies only consider one status at a time. Future research should consider the impact of intersecting structural locations that place unique constraints on family relationships, producing greater stress or providing greater resources at the intersections of different statuses.

The changing landscape of families combined with population aging present unique challenges and pressures for families and health care systems. With more experiences of age-related disease in a growing population of older adults as well as more complex family histories as these adults enter late life, such as a growing proportion of diverse family structures without children or with stepchildren, caregiving obligations and availability may be less clear. It is important to address ways to ease caregiving or shift the burden away from families through a variety of policies, such as greater resources for in-home aid, creation of older adult residential communities that facilitate social interactions and social support structures, and patient advocates to help older adults navigate health care systems. Adults in midlife may experience competing family pressures from their young children and aging parents, and policies such as childcare subsidies and paid leave to care for family members could reduce burden during this often stressful time ( Glass et al., 2016 ). Professional help and community services can also reduce the burden for grandparents involved in childcare, enabling grandparents to focus on the more positive aspects of grandparent–grandchild relationships. It is important for future research and health promotion policies to take into account the contexts and complexities of family relationships as part of a multipronged approach to benefit health and well-being, especially as a growing proportion of older adults reach late life.

This work was supported in part by grant, 5 R24 HD042849, Population Research Center, awarded to the Population Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Conflict of Interest

None reported.

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Trending Marriage and Family Research Topics. Here is a list of some of the most commonly used topics on marriage and family that will help you get ample supporting data and content. The evolution of the concept of marriage; The changing role of spouses in a modern marriage; Changes in the values around marriage and family over the last decade.
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The research study is based on the academic peer-reviewed article that analyzes marriage in the country in the 1800s. "Why Marriages Fail" by Anne Roiphe It is a productive way to end the essay because people are reassured that in every situation there is a way out and it all depends on the individuals and their want to work things […]
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Before you can start your research, you must focus on one aspect of the larger topic of marriage and family. Ask yourself these questions: What do I want to know about marriage? What do I want to know about family? What is an argument that I'd like to present to my professor and class? Here are some suggestions for narrowing this broad topic ...
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Translational Significance. It is important for future research and health promotion policies to take into account complexities in family relationships, paying attention to family context, diversity of family structures, relationship quality, and intersections of social statuses in an aging society to provide resources to families to reduce caregiving burdens and benefit health and well-being.