Abstract

Within the last three decades, the trend in marriage and its subsequent effects has changed drastically with modernity, gender roles, cultural practices, religion, and ideology.  The old fashioned early and universal marriage is being replaced with varied ones. Marriage is delayed, or not married at all; more couples live together; and marriage is becoming a widespread practice in highly religious communities. The literature and data in this review encompass factors that affect mate choice including gender, socioeconomic status, education, religion and cultural values as well as theoretical perspectives including the economics of marriage, developmental idealism, feminist critique and sociology of intimate relations. It also focuses on social, economic, psychological, demographic, and legal implications of marriage choices. As an empirical fact, the time and the selection of a partner has significant impacts. Married people tend to have greater incomes in the household and health better than their single or divorced counterparts, yet divorce affects the economic welfare of women disproportionately. There are general similarities in cross cultural comparisons (the US, India, China, and Nordic societies, etc.) such as a decline in fertility associated with female education, and individual differences, such as arranged marriages versus love marriages, and greater marriage rates in religious versus secular societies. Some of the policy-relevant issues consist of family law reform, marriage promotion campaigns, and gender-equity programs. This study concludes with policy suggestions that will reduce the bad effects, poverty, inequality, and demographic aging, and will promote healthy family formation.