From dating to tying the knot to dealing with the marital problems, the institution of marriage has undergone a radical change.
While the sanctity of marriage has pretty much stayed the same, cultural, economic and various factors have changed how marriages are perceived today.
Marriage and Survival are No Longer Synonymous
If you go back just a few centuries, marriages existed mostly for one single purpose: survival.
Before industrialization and capitalism, people were expected to work together for food, shelter and basic necessities through marriage. It didn’t just create a bond between two people but brought together tribes, families, and even countries!
Modern marriages, however, revolve around a completely different approach. People get married in order to fulfill their emotional and psychological needs.
The Role of Women in Marriage has Changed
Take a look at your grandparents or even your parents; they married each other in a time where a woman was expected to be a homemaker while a man was the sole breadwinner of the family.
The social roles were—for the most part—strictly observed not only in America but all over the world.
Women were expected to look after the chores, bear kids, nurture these children, care for their husbands and keep a marriage together—but that has drastically changed. A woman is no longer expected to carry the emotional burden of marriage while men are expected to be more nurturing and less assertive.
Divorce Rates Have Increased
In the past, marriage and personal growth didn’t go hand in hand. This was especially true for women who were expected to stay in certain marital roles, and discouraged from finding new passions or work toward self-discovery.
This led to sustaining but unhappy marriages since divorce and separation were still considered taboo.
Today, couples are no longer bound by the stigma attached to divorce and therefore divorce rates have increased drastically. Is that a good thing? There is no one answer.
No individual should stay in an emotionally and abusive relationship. There are no two ways about that. On the other hand, do we hit the road when the going gets tough? Or do we work out the knots and work toward a marriage build on respect and open communication?
You no longer have to wait for things to be broken before you fix it. Today, couples are more cognizant of underlying issues and are interested in working on repairing their marriage and issues.
In addition, cohabitation, late marriages, and marriages without children have also become much more acceptable.
We know that marriage involves struggles. It takes a lot of time, effort and understanding to overcome them.
If you’re currently going through a rough patch and want to fix your relationship with your spouse before it gets worse, talk to us.
Couples based in Palo Alto or the Bay area can get in touch with Azizeh Rezaiyan for couple’s therapy or marriage counseling.
Just give us a call at (650) 206-9973 for a free 20-minute long consultation.
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