When the question is why marriage has been declining in America, liberals often point to economic reasons. Conservatives disagree and say that it's policy choices like welfare programs that have led so many to forego the institution of marriage.
Both views have their champions and some data support each. But scholars W. Bradford Wilcox, Nicholas H. Wolfinger and Charles E. Stokes write on an Institute for Family Studies blog that something else has to be considered: culture. Wilcox directs of the National Marriage Project and teaches sociology at the University of Virginia, Wolfinger teaches consumer studies and sociology at the University of Utah and Stokes teaches sociology at Samford University.
"The fact that neither public policy nor economics can fully explain the retreat from marriage suggests that we must incorporate cultural and civic factors into any serious consideration of family trends over the past half-century. In particular, shifts in attitudes, aspirations, and norms, coupled with declining participation in secular and religious civic institutions, have undercut the social pressure to marry, to have children within marriage, and to stay married," they wrote. "But let us be clear: By considering cultural and civic factors, we’re not advancing individualistic or 'personal responsibility' explanations for the retreat from marriage. Culture and civil society are collectively produced, just as much as economics and public policy. Moreover, changing economic conditions have made some Americans particularly susceptible to cultural conditions that undercut marriage."
They note several cultural trends since the 1960s that have impacted marriage, including the sexual revolution, more focus on oneself, more divorce and changing views of marriage, among other things.
In examining the shifting cultural factors, the trio referred to the book "Bowling Alone," by Robert Putnam, a political scientist, who "documented how many forms of secular and religious civic engagement, from membership in the Shriners to church attendance, have declined since the 1960s."
A 2014 report on marriage by the Pew Research Center noted that "the share of adults who are married has been steadily declining for decades. In 2014, just half of Americans were married, down from 57 percent in 2000. In 1960, 72 percent of U.S. adults were married."
In a different report that year, Pew noted that the share of American adults who have never married reached a record level and that men are more likely than women to be in that category. The report's authors wrote that "The dramatic rise in the share of never-married adults and the emerging gender gap are related to a variety of factors. Adults are marrying later in life, and the shares of adults cohabiting and raising children outside of marriage have increased significantly. The median age at first marriage is now 27 for women and 29 for men, up from 20 for women and 23 for men in 1960."
The Deseret News reported last spring that marriage in America had hit a new low and was poised to drop further, but added that experts said the decline might be "bottoming out."
The 2015 U.S. Wedding Forecast from Demographic Intelligence said millennials are less likely to marry than previous generations, but over the next five years, a huge cohort of millennials will reach the typical age range for marriage.
In explaining why it matters, Sam Sturgeon, Demographic Intelligence president, told the Deseret News that marriage benefits children. According to the article, "He noted that research has been somewhat politicized, but is 'pretty consistent' in showing that children raised with two parents who are married to each other fare better across multiple measures."
Regarding that earlier report, Wilcox said that “for children, marriage provides a unique level of emotional security and stability. That means they’re more likely to flourish.”
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