Question

1. Over history, the institution of marriage in the U.S. has undergone many changes. In detail, describe the landmark styles of marriage and how they differ from each other (hint: institutional, companionate, and individualized marriage).

2. For each style of marriage, describe the cultural context that influenced marriage in that era. Based on current trends, how do you think marriage styles will change in the future?

this is for my Family And Consumer Studies FCS 2400 course

Answer 1

First Question:

Describe the landmark styles of marriage and how they differ from each other:

Institutional marriage: Institutional marriages are the marriages in which couple from two families marry based on economic terms. For example, when children of two business families tie their knot.

Companionate marriage: Companionate marriage is a union in which the partners decide not to have children, reserve the right to divorce amicably with mutual consent, and in which neither party would have any financial or economic claim on the other.

Individualized marriage: Within individualized marriage, the two individuals are less likely to become one interdependent unit or to sacrifice their own individuality for socially defined roles. They pursue their own interests and goals and remain two individuals within the context of a relationship.

Parenting marriage: This model of marriage is all about the children. A romantic connection need not be part of the package. Two people commit to raising kids together and providing a great home for them. They promise to stay together only until all of their children become independent. Of course, they can always decide to stay together even after that, but the forever assumption is not part of their marital contract from the start.

Starter marriage: Couples want to try out marriage for a pre-determined amount of time, without having kids. They sign legal contracts. Before the time is up, they decide whether to split or to renew their marriage or move on to a different kind of marriage.