A Generational Divide or Female Divide?

New data demonstrates younger couples are approaching marriage very differently from baby boomers, who often married young, divorced, and then remarried. Generation X and Millennials are said to be pickier about who they marry, and often only marry when education, careers, and finances are on track. The U.S. divorce rate dropped 18 percent from 2008 to 20016, showing that Millennials remained married once Millennials finally marry.  

A sociology professor at the University of Maryland, Phillip Cohen, says “Marriage is more and more anachievement of status, rather than something that people do regardless of howthey’re doing.” He also hypothesizes that for the first time in history, women are likely to get married after the age of 25, and are more likely to get a bachelor’s degree or higher by then. Cohen credits women for the decline inmarriages, and subsequently, the decline in divorce.

However,  in my own personal opinion, it seems like rather than congratulating women for being increasingly educated, their growing financial contributions to the household, or their contributions to society and the workforce, women are being blamed for their unwillingness to marry at a young age.

Based on Cohen’s argument that marriage is an achievement of status, women are being labelled successful professionally, but not romantically.