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Can Marriage Be Saved?

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Submitted By rebeckabradley35
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Can Marriage be Saved?
By: Frank Furstenberg
April 9, 2013

Frank Furstenberg, Zellerback Family Professor of Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote an article titled “Can Marriage Be Saved?” This article was first published in Dissent Magazine, in the summer of 2005, appearing on pages 76-80. It seems to me the question to be answered is in the title itself; can marriage be saved? And if so, then how can we as accomplish this goal successfully? This article clearly talks about the institution of marriage as a whole in our society. But, I think Furstenberg would not only want us to think of marriage as a whole part of our society, but also as individuals.
I was especially interested in this article when reading about the differences in marriage in relation to time. The comparison between marriage today and marriage in the 1950’s really made me think. Even the fact that there was a divergence in marriage from the 1950’s to the 1960’s shocked me. And then I wondered, “What was so different about marriage in the 50’s?” For one, divorce was frowned upon in society. Couples still acquired divorces; however, the divorce rate was much lower than it is today. I think the reasoning behind this is; during the 60’s and 70’s, women began thinking more about careers and less about marriage and children. They were less concerned with a nuclear family which consists of a two-parent biological family. “Only in the 1950’s – and then only for a very brief time – did it become the gold standard for what constitutes a healthy family.” (Furstenberg, Article 12, pg. 65)
In conclusion, there are multiple differences between the ideals of marriage over history. With a few tips such as; communication, trust and loyalty, a marriage can be successful. But, if couples could commit to each other as life partners, the success rate would be higher. I think the term “life

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