People as social beings cannot live without society and biologically strive to live together. Nevertheless, society is changing, and it is becoming commonplace for many people in Western culture to live alone without the desire to change anything towards a serious relationship. Society has dramatically changed its views on relationships between men and women, and none of the statuses are denigrated despite giving different benefits to a person.
It is generally believed that married people tend to be happier than the other group. From the household budget perspective, marriage instills confidence that one can support another financially and give legal benefits. Furthermore, having a spouse means that a person is given constant emotional support and care in stressful situations. Consequently, married life potentially is a source of power to achieve success in supporting the family. Thus, marriage is a favourable period in a human’s life.
As compared to married couples, single people also enjoy some advantages. First of all, economic issues become less relevant for singles nowadays as women are more independent than before and do not need a partner to show economic security. Moreover, people’s social contacts lay far beyond the partner, so communication with friends and family can give the necessary support. Finally, as DePaula (2020) states, single people strive to self-develop more and lead an active life, as they either have time and independence to do what they wish. Therefore, the contrast between the two groups is not striking.
Recently, it was generally accepted that society more approved married couples. However, according to recent studies, people nowadays start to feel lesser social pressure because of being alone than previously in history (Böger & Huxhold, 2018). Therefore, both statuses are similarly recognized in society. The happiness level does not seem to be related to both married and single person’s positions in the modern world. It is more rational to say that individuality defines the happiness and life satisfaction of both a single person and a married individual.
To conclude, the married or single status was significant at times when economic, social, and psychological issues were dependent on marital status. Nowadays, still being a significant social unit, matrimony is secondary to personal aspirations and does not make an integral or essential part of life for everyone. Therefore, nowadays, there is a good tendency in society not to put pressure on people’s social choices.
References
Böger, A., & Huxhold, O. (2018). The changing relationship between partnership status and loneliness: Effects related to aging and historical time. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 75(7), 1423–1432. Web.
DePaulo, B. (2020). The profound rewards of staying single. Psychology Today. Web.