Abstract

The research paper is based on the institution of marriage that has become a social problem. The purpose of the paper is to conduct research on the social problem. At the beginning of the paper, the issue related to marriage in modern society will be explored. Research question will be posed based on the social problem. Thereafter, a new hypothesis will be prepared. Following that, the existing literature on the chosen topic shall be reviewed. Under the methodology section, two methods used for conducting research will be given. The data will be analysed, and related findings will be presented in a graph. Lastly, under the discussion section, potential solutions to the research problem shall be presented.

Problem definition and resolution

Modern-day UAE residents prefer not to get married or rather extending the age of marriage. It has become a social issue and as per the UAE Marriage Fund survey, less and less people are willing to stay single because the cost of living together is rising at a constant rate. Marriage has now become a “burden” for young couples (Bethmann & Kvasnicka, 2011). Managing careers and a family has put pressure particularly on the man if the woman is not an earning member or equal contributor in the family. Again, emotional issues are more likely to occur because the institution of marriage promises that one right partner is present (Hager, 2016). Hence, research is necessary in order to understand and resolve the issue. The topic is relevant in the field of sociology and therefore, addressing the issue by conducting proper research is a necessity.

Findings from existing literature

According to (Wang & Kassam, 2016), the rate of marriage has dropped in UAE and the millennial now prefer to stay single for up to 40 years. The idea of lifelong commitment and traditional marriage has taken a downward trajectory. The paper is based on secondary research and the authors found that young couples are opting to stay out from the institution of marriage because social allure surrounding marriage and life-long commitment has lost its value. As long as the economic condition of an individual is stable, marriage is an option and not a necessity.

As per (Hassan, 2018), adults of previous generations preferred to get married almost at the same age. However, in modern times, rising income levels and education has led to a disinterest in marriage. The Gallup survey data shows that young singles prefer to say no to marriage because most of them cannot afford the cost associated with it. Around 60% of the young population in UAE said that they never want to get married to someone.

Hypothesis

Hypothesis 1- Marriage as an institution has failed in the modern society as it has failed to live up to the expectations of the couples

Hypothesis 2- As long as the economic foundation is secure, marriage is an option and not a priority

Methodology

The process by which information is identified, processed and analyzed based on a chosen topic is regarded as research methodology. The purpose of following a methodology is to evaluate the overall validity of a research. In order to conduct the research, a deductive approach has been used so that the collected information can be deduced and the hypothesis can be tested. Moreover, the positivism research philosophy has been chosen because the findings can be analyzed based on the philosophy. Both secondary and primary research has been conducted and therefore, a mixed method has been chosen in this paper. Secondary research has been conducted by reviewing two peer-reviewed journal articles. The findings will be discussed using qualitative analysis method under the data analysis section. Similarly, a short survey has been conducted as the survey method is useful in collecting primary data. Two non-married young people based in UAE were the participants of the study. They have been given the questionnaire. The sample size for the survey is small because conducting primary research is a time consuming process. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis have been chosen because a mixed method approach has enhanced the quality of the research.

Data analysis

Data from secondary source has been analysed using the qualitative method while data from the survey has been analysed using the quantitative method.

Two main findings has been gathered from the secondary sources-

Traditional marriage has lost its social allure because expectations of young couples has changed overtime
Earlier marriage was a priority because every individual within the society were not economically dependent, however, modern couples are not a believer of life-long commitment, although exceptions are always present

Similarly, the findings from the survey generates the following results-

Figure 1: % of men and women aged 25 and more who have never been married

(Source: pewsocialtrends.org, 2020)

Figure 2: % of marriage criteria presented by never-married adults

(Source: pewsocialtrends.org, 2020)

Discussion

The chosen social issue has certain advantages as well as disadvantages. According to one view, the institution of marriage sets a healthy foundation and serves a totalitarian purpose. Marriage has myriad benefits because after understanding the broader perspective, it can be suggested that societal value can be restored using the concept of marriage. Objective evidence also suggests that it addresses cultural issues and creates an essence in the society (Lindemann, 2017). When two people unite and form the institution of marriage, they are likely to provide a direction to the upcoming generation. It has been found that marriage is a form of “selflessness” and under the court ruling; the values of both the individuals are set. In a democratic nation, every individual has the right to choose his or her partner. On a societal level, it enhances the general welfare and people work towards the common good. The Constitution of every nation suggests that one of the rights of people is to choose their life partner. On a positive note, a happily married couple is likely to raise nurturing children. On the negative side, marriage leads to assault of certain rights of individuals. Notably, in wedlock or under a traditional family system, women suffer due to marriage (Geoffrey, 2019). They suffer because they are supposed to rear children and carry household tasks. Women are completely dependent on their husband for meeting the economic needs. Therefore, complete dependency and added responsibility leads to emotional imbalance. One of the advantages of marriage is that both men and women find a sense of belonging. The issue of loneliness can be resolved and a sense of community is developed. Interestingly, men get benefitted because they are likely to make substantial gains and are likely to become a responsible citizen.

However, the downfalls of marriage cannot be ignored. Working couples face difficulties managing the added responsibilities that come with marriage. One of the single most factors behind the rising divorce rate is financial problem. The problems in marriage cannot be resolved if the economic foundation is not secure. Conflict or dispute associated with marriage can be an issue because the concept of power struggle comes into picture (SANDU & NADOLEANU, 2019). It is common for every-day couples to face money-centred problems and this in turn leads to stress. Picking fights over issues and not realizing the reason behind an occurrence leads to failure in the relationship. Again, both the hypothesis presented in the paper has been proven. The concept of marriage has received a blow due to external factors. If men and women do not possess similar values and beliefs, it would be impossible to sustain the marriage for a long term. The findings also support the fact that education and religious beliefs play a significant role in choosing a life partner. Most marriages fail because couples do not share similar values. Without a strong bond and similar levels of understanding, it is challenging to sustain a happily married life. If couples fail to recognize their own responsibilities, the impact on children is huge. Marriage related problems add to everyday stresses and the likelihood of solution is low as well.

It can be recommended that the need of the hour is to restore faith in marriage because a society can function only when one of its foundations are strong and sustainable. Usually, being considerate towards each other and the willingness to put another’s happiness over oneself is an important criterion in marriage. The concept of happiness has been abused and in modern society happiness is more directed towards a self-centred belief (Clulow, 2019). It is necessary to find meaning and happiness as a couple or as a family. A sense of belongingness and community love should be present; otherwise, the failure to build a strong foundation will ultimately lead to the failure of the society as a whole.

References

Bethmann, D., & Kvasnicka, M. (2011). The institution of marriage. Journal of Population Economics, 24(3), 1005-1032.

Clulow, C. (2019). Making, breaking and remaking marriage. In Marriage, Domestic Life and Social Change (pp. 157-173). Routledge.

Geoffrey, B. (2019). Toward a Christian Definition of Marriage: A Historical, Sociological, and Theological Approach. Journal of Sociology and Christianity, 9(1), 105-110.

Hager, K. (2016). Dickens and the rise of divorce: The failed-marriage plot and the novel tradition. Routledge.

Hassan, I. (2018). Social Stratification in Qatari Society: Family, Marriage, and Khalījī Culture. hawwa, 16(1-3), 144-169.

Lindemann, D. J. (2017). Going the distance: individualism and interdependence in the commuter marriage. Journal of Marriage and Family, 79(5), 1419-1434.

SANDU, M. L., & NADOLEANU, G. (2019). The Institution of Marriage-Perceptions and Tendencies. Astra Salvensis, (14).

Wang, Y., & Kassam, M. (2016). Indicators of social change in the UAE: College students’ attitudes toward love, marriage and family. Journal of Arabian Studies, 6(1), 74-94.

Not getting married