New U.S. Census data show the number of long-lasting marriages has risen.
From the Washington Post: "Three in four couples who married after 1990 celebrated a
10-year anniversary, according to census statistics reported Wednesday. That was a rise of three percentage points compared with couples who married in the early 1980s, when the nation’s divorce rate was at its highest." ... “People seem to be finding a new marriage bargain that works for 21st-century couples,” said Andrew Cherlin, a Johns Hopkins University sociologist who studies families. “It’s based on pooling two incomes, replacing the old breadwinner-homemaker bargain that worked well in the ’50s.”
And from the Associated Press: "The census report partly attributed the small declines in divorce to a recent jump in couples cohabitating as well as rising median ages before marriage as people wait longer before making long-term commitments. Increases in educational attainment and job opportunity might also be a factor."
Some ideas:
- Talk with local clergy. Are they seeing the trend of couples waiting longer before getting married, and that leading to more stable households.
- Talk with local marriage counselors. What trends are they seeing?
- Talk with older couples - perhaps the local senior center can help - about the secrets to a long-lasting marriage.
- Publish a poll: Ask readers their views on what makes a marriage last.
New U.S. Census data show the number of long-lasting marriages has risen.
From the Washington Post: "Three in four couples who married after 1990 celebrated a
10-year anniversary, according to census statistics reported Wednesday. That was a rise of three percentage points compared with couples who married in the early 1980s, when the nation’s divorce rate was at its highest." ... “People seem to be finding a new marriage bargain that works for 21st-century couples,” said Andrew Cherlin, a Johns Hopkins University sociologist who studies families. “It’s based on pooling two incomes, replacing the old breadwinner-homemaker bargain that worked well in the ’50s.”
And from the Associated Press: "The census report partly attributed the small declines in divorce to a recent jump in couples cohabitating as well as rising median ages before marriage as people wait longer before making long-term commitments. Increases in educational attainment and job opportunity might also be a factor."
Some ideas:
- Talk with local clergy. Are they seeing the trend of couples waiting longer before getting married, and that leading to more stable households.
- Talk with local marriage counselors. What trends are they seeing?
- Talk with older couples - perhaps the local senior center can help - about the secrets to a long-lasting marriage.
- Publish a poll: Ask readers their views on what makes a marriage last.
