Marriage Has Become a Trophy
   The decline of marriage is upon us. Or, at least, that’s what the
   marriage was becoming obsolete, 39 percent said yes. That was up from
   living together are now married. Same-sex marriage was illegal in every
   The move toward marriage has not been driven by young gay and lesbian
   classified as in a same-sex marriage was age 30 or younger, according
   could have happened, given that same-sex marriage has been legal for
   same-sex marriage boom. Without doubt, most of the middle-aged same-sex
   marry now? Marriage became for them a public marker of their successful
   underlines the way in which marriage today signals to the wider
   their marriages later in their lives. According to the Census Bureau,
   the median age at first marriage—the age at which half of all marriages
   wife before I married her.) Now marriage tends to come after most of
   The main distinction in marriage patterns today is between Americans
   marriage is a much more central part of family life among the college
   Nevertheless, the last-step view of marriage is common across all
   The median age at first marriage in Norway is an astounding 39 for men
   found that 17 percent of all marriages had occurred after the couple
   marriage as a way to demonstrate love and commitment and to celebrate
   capstone marriage: The wedding is the last brick put in place to
   Americans have tended to rank marriage as more important than Europeans
   exalted place of marriage found in Martin Luther’s theology. And the
   they agreed with the statement, “Marriage is an outdated institution.”
   marriage when he wrote for the majority of the Court in Obergefell,
   “Rising from the most basic human needs, marriage is essential to our
   quite traditionalist. In fact, plenty of Americans view marriage as, at
   The alternative visions are far from replacing marriage. It is an open
   question, however, how much longer marriage will continue to dominate
   asked. Moreover, the material foundations of marriage have weakened.
   Marriage seems to operate best today for parents who pool two incomes
   relationships. The dominance of marriage may simply be due to what the
   to marry will be depleted. At that point, marriage rates among same-sex
   relationships, postpone marriage, and ultimately choose marriage less
   rate of same-sex marriage will slow. But it will surely persist—more,