A recent study from the Pew Research Center may be of interest for Virginia residents. The study shows that at 51 percent, the United States' marriage rate is currently the lowest it has been in history. The director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia explains that the decrease started 40 years ago, dropping even further after the recession began in 2008. He says that marriage "plays a less central role as an institution in American life" and is "less likely to anchor the adult life course."

According to the new study from Cornell University, one of the biggest contributors to this drop may be growing concern about divorce. The study, which was published in the journal Family Relations, found over two thirds of couples that cohabit but are not married already have concerns the various implications of a divorce, particularly the social, economic and emotional effects it could have.

More than any other group, low-income women are likely cautious about divorce, worrying that marriage could cause them to become trapped in a life of domestic work with menial pay and no benefits. Additionally, more working-class men and women reported thinking of marriage as "just a piece of paper."

Commentators say that it's not surprising these changes have occurred in a time of economic upheaval; people are less likely to commit to a relationship if their unemployment and income are more uncertain. This has ultimately changed how marriage is seen and functions in American society. As social perception of marriage evolves, so does that of divorce, much of the stigma attached disappearing in recent years.

Source: Take Part, "Is Fear of Divorce Keeping Us From Getting Married," Oliver Lee, Dec. 21, 2011