Is marriage outdated?

Marriage was once considered adulthood’s most important rite of passage, but today the views on marriage are shifting.

In recent decades, marriage in the UK has undergone a large change – the rate of marriages has fallen, while divorce rates have increased.

Hundreds of years ago, marriage was seen as an important religious tradition, often about the consolidation of power, property and wealth.

Today, expectations are slightly different – society has grown more secular and many choose not to be married in a church at all.

Partnerships are also primarily about love; marriage is no longer seen as crucial to living a stable, comfortable adult life.

Instead of prioritising marriage, young adults are travelling, undergoing vocational training, and increasingly pursuing post-secondary education and focusing on their careers.

When they do partner up, many couples no longer feel the need to get married before purchasing a home or starting a family. It simply isn’t a priority for many Millennial couples.

The stigma around divorce is also less pronounced than it once was – where unhappy partnerships once had fewer even just five decades ago, today couples can divorce much more easily.

And as life expectancy continues to increase, there’s also the potential for marriages to last much longer.

For many people, staying with the same person no longer fits with their desired or lifestyles. It simply isn’t as fashionable as it once was.

Others argue marriage is more significant than ever, for precisely these reasons – because it’s no longer necessary, people value marriage as a choice and see it as a way to protect religious, family and community values.

What do you think? Is marriage an outdated tradition? Or is it still as relevant as ever?