When you first think about why people get married, “economical advantages” is not something you would initially way into your answer. You would think that marriage is based on love and wanting to spend your life with someone and start a family. But in many western countries this is on the decline. We see in many western societies today, the large changes in divorce rates, the decline in marriage rates, and the general weakening of the traditional family structure. Marriage rates in Canada peaked in the 1970’s and have been on the constant decline since the 1970’s. (Employment and Social Development Canada). We see a seismic shift in cultural attitudes, as it has become more acceptable for couples to live together and have children without being married (Module A3). Many people, especially young individuals do not place the same kind of importance on marriage and having children that they once did. There could be several factors as to whether or not couples decide to get married or live together. Some young adults today struggle to find good paying jobs, and many are hesitant to take big steps like marriage without achieving a certain level of financial security.
Module A3 the decision of whether or not to get married and have children, could be decided based on the cost benefit. The comparative economic advantage of marriage was based on having a main breadwinner and a homemaker. The breadwinner model was considered the “Nuclear family”, where the breadwinner is a male. The male works outside the home to provide the family income, and the female stays at home and is the caregiver and takes care of the children. However this model was more prevalent in the time period after World War II, where the economy relied on men for the financial support. However this model is no longer as prominent in the developing world as we now see a rise in female employment rates.