Marriage and divorce in the United States have undergone several changes over the past 50 years.  The country has shifted from a period when women were expected to marry and bare children, men were to be the bread winners, and divorce was taboo.  Times have certainly changed since then and we now find ourselves in a unique moment in history where society's views on marriage and relationships have dramatically shifted. 

An article discussing these changes suggested that marriage is no longer about long-term commitment and sacrifice for the sake of family; rather, it is more about self fulfillment where the primary focus is on one's personal feelings of happiness and satisfaction.  This shift from a traditional view of marriage to what the article refers to as the "soul-mate model" ultimately leads to more divorces because people want to escape situations they do not find 100% fulfilling. 

Historian Robert L. Griswold points out  that the 1960's marked a particularly high point in the number of divorces due in part to the sexual revolution, a resurgence of feminism, more wives entering the workplace, the implementation of no-fault divorce, and an overall higher expectation of marriage.  Statistics indicate that from 1960 to 1980 the divorce rate surged from 9.2% to 22.6%.  By 1996 the number of divorced persons in the U.S. had reached 18.3 million as compared to 4.3 million back in 1970. 

The divorce rate remains high today, but it is on a slight decline due to society's changing views on relationships and marriage.  This shift has primarily resulted in couples waiting longer before they tie the knot due in part to their jaded views on the traditional definition of marriage.  This change was addressed in a report compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau, which tracked the trends in relationships, marriage, and divorce from 1970 to 2000.  The impact of people waiting longer to marry is evident in several aspects of society.  There are now a significant number of non-married co-habitating couples.  In 2000, there were approximately 3.8 million households with such an arrangement.  There were also more single parent homes, approximately 12 million to be exact. 

This trend of postponing marriage to the later years has also led to some unforeseen benefits.  Statistics indicate that those who wait to marry have higher education levels than those who marry in their early 20's.  This is particularly true for women.  In 2000, 28% of unmarried women had a higher education level than their partners as compared to 21% of married women.  Those who wait to exchange vows also tend to earn more than couples who marry young.  It will be interesting to see how these figures compare to the 2010 census data.  I would venture to guess that the number of unmarried co-habitations and single parent homes will only increase.

I have experienced first-hand how differently this generation views relationships and marriage.  Most if not all of my girlfriends are more focused on their careers and self-discovery than they are on finding a husband.  It's not that they are entirely opposed to the idea of marriage; it's that they are no longer fooled by the illusion that a spouse, kids, and a house with a white picket fence is the ticket to happiness.  I think this shift in views will enable us all to have more healthy and meaningful relationships that are built on strong foundations because we will actually know who we are before we enter into life-long commitments.    

As society continues to evolve and the way we relate to one another changes I think it will be important for the traditional definitions of marriage to expand in order to accommodate these developments.  If not, marriage itself may eventually become obsolete.