Dataset Information

Stability and Relevance of Marriage Desires: Importance of Age Norms and Partnering Opportunities.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

This study investigates shifts in marriage desires during singlehood and the potential consequences associated with these shifts in Japan, a country epitomizing later and less marriage without substantial increases in nonmarital childbearing.

Background

Despite researchers' long-standing interest in values potentially motivating demographic changes, few have systematically examined marriage desires among unmarried adults. Even fewer have considered how marriage desires may change during adulthood and how relevant such changes are to marriage and family behavior.

Method

The analysis uses 11 waves of the Japan Life Course Panel Survey, which tracks singles' marriage desires yearly. Fixed effects models are estimated to demonstrate factors associated with within-person changes and account for unobserved heterogeneity.

Results

Japanese singles' marriage desires decline with age but are stronger when they perceive greater opportunities to form romantic relationships or marriage. Singles experiencing an increase in the desire to marry are more likely to take actions to seek partners and to enter a romantic relationship or marriage subsequently. The associations between marriage desires and the various behavioral changes strengthen with age and feasibility of marriage. Increases in marriage desires also correspond to increases in single men's parenthood desires and ideal numbers of children, and the link between marriage desires and fertility preferences is stronger as they age.

Conclusion

Marriage desires are not always stable or equally relevant throughout singlehood. Our study suggests that age norms and partnering opportunities both contribute to the fluctuation of marriage desires and affect when such desires would have behavioral implications.

SUBMITTER: Yu WH

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10195064 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Stability and Relevance of Marriage Desires: Importance of Age Norms and Partnering Opportunities.

Yu Wei-Hsin WH Hara Yuko Y

Journal of marriage and the family 20221018 2

<h4>Objective</h4>This study investigates shifts in marriage desires during singlehood and the potential consequences associated with these shifts in Japan, a country epitomizing later and less marriage without substantial increases in nonmarital childbearing.<h4>Background</h4>Despite researchers' long-standing interest in values potentially motivating demographic changes, few have systematically examined marriage desires among unmarried adults. Even fewer have considered how marriage desires m ...[more]

PMID: 37213260

Similar Datasets

Project description:IntroductionGlobally in 2024, 1 in 5 women aged 20-24 years worldwide had been married before the age of 18 years. One reason for this persistent prevalence of underage marriage may be the slow change in social norms relating to education levels and women's marriage age. However, we know little about how norms change, and whether they vary by socio-demographic characteristics. We aimed to investigate changes in social norms across generations in rural Maharashtra, India.MethodsTo understand the status quo, we identified education levels and marriage ages typical of contemporary young adults in rural Maharashtra using the National Family Health Survey. To see if norms have shifted across generations, we analysed data on education and marriage age in 659 parent-adolescent dyads from the Pune Maternal Nutrition Study (PMNS) in rural Maharashtra. To ascertain if norms might shift in the future, we investigated adolescents' aspirations for their future hypothetical children's education and marriage, and classified adolescents as wanting (a) their children to decide themselves, (b) more education and later marriage age, or (c) the status quo. We assessed whether these aspirations differed by socio-demographic characteristics.ResultsCompared to the status quo and PMNS adults, PMNS adolescents had substantially more education, and girls were marrying slightly later. About 70% of the adolescents wanted their children to themselves decide their schooling. The remainder of both sexes wanted their children to have the same education as them (15 years). Only 10% of adolescent girls and 14% of boys wanted their child to decide their own marriage age. Most adolescents wanted a later marriage age for their children than their own experience. Lower educated and early married girls aspired for greater education for their children. More educated boys aspired for later marriage for their children.DiscussionEducation norms have changed by a larger magnitude than marriage age norms. Adolescents are already attaining their education aspirations, but aspire for later marriage of their children, more so for their hypothetical sons than daughters. Since senior household members remain influential in marriage decisions, it may take time before adolescents' aspirations for their children become a new norm.

Dataset Information

Stability and Relevance of Marriage Desires: Importance of Age Norms and Partnering Opportunities.

Objective

Background

Method

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Stability and Relevance of Marriage Desires: Importance of Age Norms and Partnering Opportunities.

Similar Datasets

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