Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 110 views

    Marriage Persuasive Essay

    Uploaded by

    api-277963081
    Matthew Newman wrote a paper arguing that marriage remains an important and practical institution. While its practical importance has declined, marriage still provides legal protections for partners and children. It also supports healthy development for children by providing stability and role models from both parents. Additionally, married couples tend to experience greater relationship satisfaction including better sexual, physical and mental health as well as higher income. While successful unmarried families exist, marriage typically provides the foundation for intimacy and security that people desire.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Marriage Persuasive Essay

    Uploaded by

    api-277963081
    110 views6 pages
    Matthew Newman wrote a paper arguing that marriage remains an important and practical institution. While its practical importance has declined, marriage still provides legal protections for partners and children. It also supports healthy development for children by providing stability and role models from both parents. Additionally, married couples tend to experience greater relationship satisfaction including better sexual, physical and mental health as well as higher income. While successful unmarried families exist, marriage typically provides the foundation for intimacy and security that people desire.

    Original Title

    marriage persuasive essay

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Matthew Newman wrote a paper arguing that marriage remains an important and practical institution. While its practical importance has declined, marriage still provides legal protections for partners and children. It also supports healthy development for children by providing stability and role models from both parents. Additionally, married couples tend to experience greater relationship satisfaction including better sexual, physical and mental health as well as higher income. While successful unmarried families exist, marriage typically provides the foundation for intimacy and security that people desire.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    110 views6 pages

    Marriage Persuasive Essay

    Uploaded by

    api-277963081
    Matthew Newman wrote a paper arguing that marriage remains an important and practical institution. While its practical importance has declined, marriage still provides legal protections for partners and children. It also supports healthy development for children by providing stability and role models from both parents. Additionally, married couples tend to experience greater relationship satisfaction including better sexual, physical and mental health as well as higher income. While successful unmarried families exist, marriage typically provides the foundation for intimacy and security that people desire.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    You are on page 1of 6

    Matthew Newman

    Professor Camille Pack


    English 2010
    04/16/2015
    Word Count: 1,318

    It has been said, that Although the practical importance of marriage has declined, its symbolic
    significance has remained high and may even have increased. It has become a marker of prestige and
    personal achievement (The Deinstitutionalization of American Marriage). While the perceived
    practicality of marriage may have declined, its actual practicality persists. Marriage can play a
    fundamental role in a happy, and healthy life. Marriage can legally protect an individual, as well as their
    children. Being raised in a married home gives children the best chance at developing to their potential.
    It also brings the need intimacy and emotional attachment that every human being (whether they will
    admit it or not) craves. Some may say that marriage is outdated and unnecessary, but it is in fact very
    beneficial to all who are involved.

    Many believe that merely living together without the legal bonding of matrimony, can be just as
    beneficial as living together with it. According to FindLaw, Divorcing spouses have the obligation to
    divide their property by legally prescribed methods, where At the end of a cohabitation relationship, the
    parties can usually divide property however they wish. However, the absence of legal guidelines may
    create even more conflict as to who gets what (Marriage vs. Cohabitation). Obviously, it would be
    preferable to not have to go through the process of a divorce or a break up. But as grim as it may sound,
    legal marriage, though inevitably messier when ended than non-marital relationship, actually protects you
    in the chance that the relationship does end. When cohabiting couples disagree on the dividing of
    property, claiming insurance or other benefits. . . (Proving a Common Law Marriage) some feel it is
    important to suddenly claim Common Law Marriage, if they live in one of the fifteen states that recognize
    common law marriage (States that Recognize Common Law Marriage). FindLaw also states Children
    born to married couples must be financially supported during the marriage, but The Male in a
    cohabiting Partnership does not incur an immediate legal obligation to support children born during the
    cohabitation, but may do so voluntarily (Marriage vs. Cohabitation). To take the optimistic approach,
    this lack of legal binding of a father to a child, shouldnt matter. But realistically, 1 in 4 children under
    the age of 18-a total of about 17.4 million- are being raised without a father and nearly half (45%) live
    below the poverty line (Single Mother Statistics). We must ask ourselves how many children would rise
    to higher levels if they had been raised by both parents. Statistically speaking, marriage is more likely
    than not, to result in dual-parent households. Being married can not only legally protects both partners,
    but that protection extends to children as well.

    Putting aside the legal and financial benefits for families,


    marriage also supports the development of families. Gordon Berlin, the executive vice president of
    MDRC, states, Children who grow up in an intact, two-parent family with both biological parents
    present do better on a wide range of outcomes than children who grow up in a single-parent family
    (Gordon Berlin The Effects of Marriage and Divorce on Families and Children). Obviously, there are
    successful individuals who were raised by a steadfast single parent. But if it is more likely for children to
    develop and become successful adults with two parents are present, why make them swim against the
    current? Each parent in a family is unique, and has different talents/qualities. It is important for children
    to receive support from both a mother and a father. Children raised in intact married families: are more
    likely to attend college, are physically and emotionally healthier, are less likely to be physically or
    sexually abused, are less likely to use drugs or alcohol and to commit delinquent behaviors, have a
    decreased risk of divorcing when they get married are less likely to become pregnant/impregnate
    someone as a teenager (Why Married Parents Are Important For Children). It can be argued that this
    nurturing can happen in unmarried homes, which is completely true. However, over 80 percent of
    unmarried couples are still romantically involved when their child is born and nearly half are living
    together. Most claim they plan to marry eventually. Yet half have broken up by their child's third
    birthday (England & Edin Unmarried Couples with Children). Again, there are unmarried couples who
    enjoy the same parental experiences as married couples. It is however, more likely for there to be a two
    parent household when a couple is tied by marriage. Healthy Marriage on average results in more stable
    environment for raising children.

    Besides tangible benefits, the practicality of marriage is apparent in regards to relationship


    satisfaction. Married couples report greater sexual satisfaction. Married women report higher levels of
    physical and psychological health. Married people are more likely to volunteer. Being married increases
    the likelihood of affluence. Married people tend to experience less depression and fewer problems with
    alcohol. Getting married increases the probability of moving out of a poor neighborhood. Married men
    make more money. Ever-married women are less likely to experience poverty. Marriage is associated
    with a lower mortality risk (The Benefits of Marriage). This is not to say that those who are in
    cohabiting relationships cannot experience this. But on average, it is reported that sexual, health, and
    financial satisfaction is most likely to be achieved in a healthy marriage. Marriage, by definition means,
    I will always be here for you. Marrieds long-term contract encourages emotional investment in the
    relationship. In contrast, cohabitation for most seems to mean, I will be here only as long as the
    relationship meets my needs. Thus, cohabitors feel less secure in their relationships (The Verdict on
    Cohabitation vs. Marriage). There can be some fallacy detected in saying that all cohabitors feel insecure
    in their relationships, however there is an element of truth to it. If someone is unable to feel completely
    secure in their relationship, it could be difficult to develop the emotional intimacy they need. Thus,
    marriage can play an important role in satisfying our emotional needs.

    Marriage is still a very important and practical part of life. It ensures protection for not only the
    two people involved in the relation, but for the children as well, both legally and emotionally. Marriage
    can be the foundation for children to build off of and use as an example when they begin their own
    families. Marriage can be the most solid relationship from which to draw the human intimacy we desire.
    Although many families find most of these things without first having married, they are more likely to be
    achieved through a healthy marriage. Marriage may be viewed as impractical by some. However in
    viewing all the benefits, we see that while you do not have to go find a spouse immediately, eventually a
    healthy marriage will bring the satisfaction most people spend their whole lives searching for.

    Works Cited:
    Cherlin, A. J. (2004), The deinstitutionalization of American marriage. Journal of Marriage and Family,
    66: 848861. doi: 10.1111/j.0022-2445.2004.00058.x
    "Marriage vs. Cohabitation - FindLaw." Findlaw. Web. 16 Apr. 2015. <http://family.findlaw.com/livingtogether/marriage-vs-cohabitation.html>.
    "Proving a Common Law Marriage | DivorceNet.com." DivorceNet.com. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.
    <http://www.divorcenet.com/resources/divorce/proving-a-common-law-marriage.htm>.

    Price, Susan. "STATES THAT RECOGNIZE COMMON LAW MARRIAGE." STATES THAT
    RECOGNIZE COMMON LAW MARRIAGE. Web. 16 Apr. 2015. <http://www.cga.ct.gov/2010/rpt/2010R-0103.htm>.
    "Single Mother Statistics - Single Mother Guide." Single Mother Guide. 23 Mar. 2012. Web. 16 Apr.
    2015. <https://singlemotherguide.com/single-mother-statistics/>.
    "FamilyFacts.org." The Benefits of Marriage. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.
    <http://www.familyfacts.org/briefs/1/the-benefits-of-marriage>.
    "The Verdict on Cohabitation vs. Marriage." The Verdict on Cohabitation vs. Marriage. Web. 16 Apr.
    2015. <http://marriageandfamilies.byu.edu/issues/2001/January/cohabitation.htm>.
    Berlin, Gordon. "The Effects of Marriage and Divorce on Families and Children." Mdrc. 1 May 2004.
    Web. 16 Apr. 2015. <http://www.mdrc.org/publication/effects-marriage-and-divorce-families-andchildren>.
    "Unmarried Couples with Children." Unmarried Couples with Children. Ed. Paula England and Kathryn
    Edin. Web. 16 Apr. 2015. <https://www.russellsage.org/publications/unmarried-couples-children>.
    "Why Married Parents Are Important for Children." For Your Marriage. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.
    <http://www.foryourmarriage.org/married-parents-are-important-for-children/>.

    You might also like