Collaborative Research: RUI: Marriage Attitudes in the 21st Century.

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Marriage is an important foundation by which individuals receive benefits guaranteed by U. S. laws, signal their transition to adulthood, and participate in family life. We know that attitudes towards marriage have changed in the late 20th and early 21st centuries as a function of evolving norms; there have also been recent changes in rates of marriage in U.S. sub-populations. Yet most of what is known about attitudes towards marriage comes from much older surveys, some of which are based on geographically limited samples. This project examines American attitudes and sentiments toward issues of marriage, with particular focus on sub-populations whose take up rates of marriage have recently shifted. There will also be attention devoted to how marriage may be shaping adult lives and decision-making processes related to marriage in the 21st century. Findings will help to chart how changes in attitudes towards marriage may be tied to larger societal changes in laws, attitudes, and for whom such changes are most notable. Findings will have implications for policies relevant to supporting marriage as one foundation for social life in the United States. This project investigates marriage attitudes in the early 21st century using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The first component will be a survey based on a national sample of 2,700 adults. The project will build on previously tested survey questions and add questions related to the experience of marriage as well as divorce. This will permit comparisons across sub-groups that vary by social characteristics. The survey will also allow comparisons across regional contexts, comparing adults in states with varying histories of marriage support. The second component will consist of interviews with 120 individuals. Interview questions will focus on explaining reasons behind attitudes and decisions to marry or opt out. The sampling strategy for the interview component allows comparisons between those living in four different social contexts, thus enriching the regional comparisons afforded by the survey data. The findings will inform sociological theories regarding marriage, divorce, and related changes across the life course that implicate both legal rights as well as family formation and change.This project is jointly funded by Sociology Program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.