首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Marriage Marriage is traditionally conceived to be a legally recognized relationship, between an adult male and female, that
Marriage Marriage is traditionally conceived to be a legally recognized relationship, between an adult male and female, that
admin
2010-07-14
47
问题
Marriage
Marriage is traditionally conceived to be a legally recognized relationship, between an adult male and female, that carries certain rights and obligations. However, in contemporary societies, marriage is sometimes interpreted more liberally and the phrase ’living as married’ indicates that for many purposes it makes no sense to exclude cohabitation. It should be noted, however, that even this more liberal definition usually excludes homosexual couples. Although cohabitation is increasingly accepted, and is now the normal prelude to marriage, people continue to make a distinction between living together and a ’proper’ wedding and marriage.
Much recent sociological research, both in Britain and America, has been concerned with the growing fears that marriage as an institution is in decline. These fears stem from two roots, the first being concern for increasing marital breakdown and subsequent divorce, and the second the fact that marriage is going out of fashion, with more people cohabiting and even rearing children outside matrimony. Certainly, divorce is on the increase, and if current divorce-rates in Britain continue then one in three marriages is likely to end in divorce. In recent years, the median age at first marriage has increased and teenage marriages have declined significantly, with a growing proportion, albeit still a small minority, never getting married. At the same time, rates of cohabitation are increasing, with it now being virtually the norm to cohabit before marrying. Moreover, an increasing number of children are conceived and born outside marriage. Looking at these statistics, one might reasonably conclude that the future of marriage looks bleak, but marriage still remains the preferred way of life for the vast majority of the adult population. Even among those whose first marriage fails, a majority are sufficiently optimistic to marry a second time.
Why do people marry? In Western societies, the emotional aspects of marriage are stressed, and what Lawrence Stone calls affective individualism prevails. Choice of a mate is influenced primarily by the desire for a relationship offering affection and love—although, as Peter Berger observes, the "lightning shaft of Cupid seems to be guided rather strongly within very definite channels of class, income, education, racial and religious background". The tendency for people of similar backgrounds to marry (marital homogamy) is strong, but there is no clear understanding of why it occurs, or whether the degree of rigidity in mate selection differs among different social groups. Surprisingly, some recent American research suggests that the higher the class position, the less the homogamy.
Concern with marital success and marital adjustment has played an increasingly prominent part in recent research. As David Morgan suggests, marriage has become "medicalized", with therapists and marriage-guidance counsellors at the ready to tackle marital problems and enhance marital quality. This raises the question of how marital success should be measured. Clearly, stability is not a sufficient indicator, as some couples stay together even though they are totally miserable, whereas others divorce, despite having a relationship that some would envy. A variety of marital quality inventories have been developed and recently it has been recognized that marital quality and marital problems are in fact independent. For example, conflict and arguments may be signs of caring and engagement in some marriages.
Marriages clearly face different problems at different times of the life-cycle, and raising a family, especially for parents of younger children, is associated with high marital strain. Remarriages appear to be at greater risk of breaking up than first marriage, especially when step-children are involved. This may be in part because remarriage is an incomplete institution, in the sense that societal expectations and norms still reflect the traditional expectation that marriages will last a lifetime. As Anthony Giddens has pointed out, terms like "broken marriages" and "broken homes" embody the traditional ideal and have unfortunate negative connotations, especially regarding children whose parents are separated or divorced.
Increasingly, research is focusing on the interrelationship of employment and family life, including marriage. The primary focus has been on how women’s employment has affected the marital relationship. Using longitudinal surveys, American researchers have found that women who contribute a higher share of the household income are more likely to divorce than women who contribute a lower share, or housewives. It may be that wives who become less dependent upon their husbands financially are no longer willing to tolerate a subservient position—and have the resources that enable them to leave. Another important question is whether the employment of women has led to greater egalitarianism within marriage. Some family researchers have painted a rosy picture of how families are becoming more symmetrical, whereas others continue to exercise scepticism, asserting that the traditional division of labour within the home persists, even when women also hold full-time employment.
Jessie Bernard has claimed that there is not one marriage but two—the wife’s marriage and that of the husband. Studies have consistently shown that marriage tends to be more beneficial for men than for women, with married men being in better psychological health, and showing fewer symptoms of stress than married women. Some feminists who see marriage as an oppressive institution have urged women not to marry. The inequalities of marriage, however, are reflections of the inequalities of the sexes in society. As Chris Harris states, "it is to be expected that however great the formal equality between the spouses, wives’ sense of inequality in marriage will persist as long as they cannot, for whatever reason, participate on equal terms with men in the labour-market." Bernard goes further, suggesting that the complete change of housewife to bread-winner sends tremors through every relationship. Dual-earning marriages are sowing the seeds of change. However, despite the dire statistics, marriage seems to be a rather resilient institution; perhaps, very gradually, the benefits for both husband and wife will become more balanced.
Now cohabitation normally happens before marriage.
选项
A、Y
B、N
C、NG
答案
A
解析
文章第一自然段最后一句说婚前同居现象正越来越被人们所接受。
转载请注明原文地址:https://jikaoti.com/ti/nkFMFFFM
0
大学英语六级
相关试题推荐
IBMresearchersareattemptingtowarmuphuman-computerrelationships.Forexample,IBM,InternationalBusinessMachines,hasb
Povertyexistsbecauseoursocietyisanunequalone,andtherearcpowerfulpoliticalpressurestokeepitthatway.Anyattemp
A、Manisalsoakindofanimal.B、Therehavebeenmenformorethanamillionyears.C、Likeanyotheranimals,manslowlychange
Directions:Inthispart,youwillhave15minutestogooverthepassagequicklyandanswerthequestionsonAnswerSheet1.Fo
THEBLENDINGOFTHEUNITEDSTATESForyears,JorgeDelPinal’sjobasassistantchiefoftheCensusBureau’sPopulationDivi
Recentlymoreandmoreattentionhasbeenfocusedtotheproblemofpreservingthe
Recentlymoreandmoreattentionhasbeenfocusedtotheproblemofpreservingthe
A、Theman’sprofessor.B、Theman’sroommate.C、Aneighbor.D、Theman’sbrother.B由文中的相关词“movein,apartment,aroomchange”可推断出他们是
A、Usesofcoldseawater.B、Irrigatingdesertareas.C、Techniquesforpreservingtheenvironment.D、Techniquesofcultivatingpl
A、Theraidhadbeenphotographedbyhiddencameras.B、Somewatchmanhadseentheraid.C、ThebanktellerprovedthatJoewasthe
随机试题
正常情况下肠系膜上动脉(SMA)在餐后的特点是
男,71岁,COPD患者,长期家庭氧疗,近10天因呼吸困难增加氧流量,1小时前被发现无法唤醒而就诊,查体:昏睡,球结膜充血水肿,双肺呼吸音低,双侧巴氏征阳性,动脉血气(鼻导管吸氧1.5升/分),PaO2为71mmHg,PaCO2为76mmHg,该患者出现意
颌面部创伤后抗休克治疗措施不包括
A.5年B.10年C.15年D.20年E.30年《医疗事故处理条例》规定,残疾生活补助费应根据伤残等级,自定残之日起最长赔偿
某城市热力管道工程,施工单位根据设计单位提供的平面控制网点和城市水准网点按照支线、支干线、主干线的次序进行了施工定线测量后,用纤维卷尺丈量定位固定支架、补偿器、阀门等的位置。在热力管道实施焊接前,根据焊接工艺试验结果编写了焊接工艺方案,并按该工艺方
建设工程项目施工成本控制中,一般来说,产生费用偏差的原因中属于业主原因的是()。
______是以江泽民同志为核心的党中央第三代领导集体在我国社会经济步入新的发展时期提出的重要治国方略。
志愿者督导的行政功能主要目的是()。
Schoolintegrationplansthatinvolvebusingbetweensuburbanandcentralcityareashavecontributed,accordingtoarecentstu
Therearemanyacareerinwhichtheincreasingemphasisis【M1】______inspecialization.Youfindthesecareersinengineering,
最新回复
(
0
)