Philip N. Cohen on Diversity, Inequality, and Social Change in Marriage

Diversity, Inequality, and Social Change

In his book, “The Family: Diversity, Inequality, and Social Change,” Philip N. Cohen provides a unique perspective on the fact that marriage occurs in different ways for many individuals. Hence, many go through the process of cohabitation before officially becoming spouses, which has become quite common. Moreover, he draws a parallel between the level of education and wealth and point to problems with the recognition of same-sex marriages.

How and when people get married is also influenced by their background, in other words, culture, upbringing, laws, and politics. Special attention is paid to statistics regarding marriage in modern society. The author notes that “the decline results from two trends at once: most people are marrying at older ages than they did in the past, and an increasing number of people never marry” (Cohen, 2018, p. 276). Such indicators as culture, economy, and demography influence this aspect.

Who Marries Whom

In this section, the author compares relations with the market model. Therefore, it is assumed that people get married only when it benefits them, and in this case, there must be competition for spouses. Despite the criticism of this concept, the phenomenon of the marriage market has been very influential, and the term is widely used in research. However, in this case, it is considered a sphere in which individuals search for potential partners.

Modern society is characterized by endogamy, which is defined by marriage and reproduction within a distinct group. This aspect is mainly influenced by factors such as race, ethnicity, religion, and social class. Moreover, cohabitation or cohabitation as romantic partners is gaining popularity in the modern world. It is stated that “fewer than one-third of couples cohabiting for the first time are still in that state three years later, as some marry, and others split up” (Cohen, 2018, p. 297).

The Modern Married Individual

The concept of a lifelong commitment to another person loses its force due to the high prevalence of individualism in society. However, marriage becomes the result of this phenomenon, as it represents a conscious choice of the individual. Studies have shown that the main categories that are important for people in marriage are lifelong commitment, success, emotional support, and security (Cohen, 2018). The leading aspect is mutuality, which implies the cooperative exchange of data indicators to achieve the best relationship. In addition, the main positive aspects of marriage are happiness, improved health and wealth, and strengthening religion.

The Politics of Marriage

The last section is devoted to the politics of marriage, in which the author discusses such phenomena as marriage promotion and rights. Reducing the number of married couples has some advantages, such as giving greater freedoms to women and reducing the repressive authorities. Moreover, the chapter explores how the concept of marriage was formed at the legislative level with the introduction of such acts as the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (Cohen, 2018). Vital is focusing on the rights of same-sex marriage, paying attention to the increase in this movement and the introduction of such shifts as the moment when “on June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a deeply divided 5-4 decision, ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry” (Cohen, 2018, p. 311).

Reference

Cohen, P. N. (2018). The Family: Diversity, Inequality, and Social Change. W. W. Norton & Company.

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StudyCorgi. "Philip N. Cohen on Diversity, Inequality, and Social Change in Marriage." October 3, 2025. https://studycorgi.com/philip-n-cohen-on-diversity-inequality-and-social-change-in-marriage/.

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StudyCorgi. 2025. "Philip N. Cohen on Diversity, Inequality, and Social Change in Marriage." October 3, 2025. https://studycorgi.com/philip-n-cohen-on-diversity-inequality-and-social-change-in-marriage/.

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