Paper Abstract of Norval under the topic of:
Poromotal Marital and Social Stability

Marriage is Just as important in modem societies as in traditional ones, but the conditions of modernity make the maintenance of a healthy institution of marriage problematic. The current situation in the United States illustrates this dilemma. Data from a recent national survey show that most Americans think marriage is important and express pro-marriage attitudes, and yet all is not well with marriage in the country. For instance, only about 40 percent of adult Americans are in reasonably good marriages, and another 40 percent are unmarried. One reason is that many Americans have values inconsistent with healthy marriages that influence their major life decisions even more than do their pro-marriage values. Another possible reason is the superabundance of marital alternatives available to modem Americans, which may impede strong commitment to a spouse. There is little evidence that "structural impediments" account for the dire straits of American marriage, except among African Americans. The current "marriage movement" in the United States and in some other modem societies targets such characteristics of individuals as skills, attitudes, and knowledge—which seems appropriate—but the success of the movement is as yet unclear.

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• Paper Abstract of Norval under the topic of Poromotal Marital and Social Stability