5.03 Marriage and Lifestyle Forms

• Introduction
• Learn
• Try It
• Task

Introduction

Currently, over 95% of all men and women in the United States marry at least once during their lifetimes. Historically, the most consistent aspect of family life in this country has been the high rate of marriage. In fact, despite the high rate of divorce, there are some indications of a miniboom in marriages of late.

In this lesson, you will learn about various aspects of love, marriage, and parenthood in the United States and contrast them with cross-cultural examples. Though we are used to thinking of romance and mate selection as strictly a matter of individual preference, sociological analysis tells us that social institutions and distinctive cultural norms and values also play an important role.