During the past 2 decades, we have witnessed people delay marriage. In other words, people are now marrying at later ages than was typical during the 1970s. Some believe the marriage delay is correlated with the divorce rate (~50%).
In 400-550 words explain what may be contributing to this age shift and divorce rates? Please consider social changes and any other content pertaining to adolescence and early adulthood. You MUST support your argument with content and 1 specific theory covered in our video lectures.
For maximum points, write a minimum of 400 words and make sure the bulk of your discussion focuses on the theory and how it explains the issue at hand.
Sample Answer
The postponement of first marriage from the early twenties in the 1970s to the late twenties and early thirties today represents one of the most significant shifts in modern Western societies, occurring alongside the persistent, often-cited 50% divorce rate. This dramatic age shift is not merely a consequence of delayed responsibility but a functional response to profound social and economic changes that have created a new, prolonged life stage. The primary theoretical framework explaining both the delay and the complexities of marital stability is Emerging Adulthood (EA), a stage spanning approximately ages 18 to 29, as conceptualized by psychologist Jeffrey Arnett.
rnett argues that EA is a distinct developmental phase defined by five key features, three of which directly contribute to the marriage delay. Crucially, EA is the age of identity explorations, where young people systematically try out possibilities in love, work, and worldview. Unlike past generations, where career and partner choices often occurred concurrently with marriage, today's emerging adults use their twenties to achieve a stable sense of self before committing to a spouse. This exploration is enabled by major societal changes, including increased necessity for higher education, which delays career entry, and the widespread availability of contraception, which decouples sexual relationships from the necessity of marriage. The second characteristic, the age of instability, reinforces this delay. Individuals frequently change residences, jobs, and educational paths, making the traditional stability required for marriage impractical. For the modern emerging adult, marriage has thus shifted from a foundation upon which to build life to a capstone event—a final status marker to be achieved only after personal, educational, and financial independence are secured.
The influence of Emerging Adulthood also provides critical context for the enduringly high divorce rate. Two other characteristics of EA, the self-focused age and the age of possibilities, have fundamentally altered the contemporary meaning of marriage. The individualism fostered during this prolonged exploration leads to elevated expectations for a spouse, who is now expected to be a source of intense personal and psychological fulfillment, often described as a "soulmate" or "best friend." This elevated standard, rooted in the self-focus of EA, dictates that if a marriage fails to deliver continuous emotional and personal growth, it is perceived as a barrier to individual happiness. The inherent optimism of the age of possibilities then fuels the belief that a better, more perfect partnership exists elsewhere. While later marriage statistically leads to a somewhat lower divorce risk because partners are more mature and economically stable, the high overall rate of dissolution persists because the individualistic mindset, developed during EA, prioritizes self-fulfillment over institutional permanence. In essence, the delay and the persistent instability are two sides of the same cultural coin: a decades-long, self-actualizing pursuit of the ideal adult life.