I need your help (SURVEY)

[uadreamybabe]

Hi readers! I am conducting a sociological study on marriage and cohabitation and need your help. This is for my masters thesis in sociology and I would appreciate your answers. I don't need names, just answer the following questions as best as you can. Thank you in advance! I really appreciate it! If some are too personal you don't have to answer.



1.How old are you?

2.Do you own or rent your home?

3.What is the highest degree of education you hold?

4.What is your average annual income?

5.What is your ethnicity? (Optional)

6.Do you live in the city or suburbs?

7.Do you own a car? What make?

8.How long have you been with your significant other?

9.Are you living together?

10.Have you any children?

11.Are you married?

12.Why did you choose to get married (or not get married)?

13.Was your choice to get married (or not get married) was due to financial reasons?

14.In your opinion, what are the benefits of being married?

15.How is government, in your opinion and experience, doing anything to influence your choice to get married/not get married?

16.In your opinion, what are the benefits of not getting married, but still living together and having a family?

17.If you were married before, and now choose to not get married anymore, why? (If first marriage, or never married, skip this question.)

18.What affects your decision? Finances, age, media, friends, trust, etc. (If you skipped question 17, skip this one)

19.What does marriage mean to you?

20.How do you think marriage is portrayed in this country?

21.Do you think there is a higher chance of relationship lasting if the couple is married?

22.How do you think marriage effects your children?

23.In your opinion, what is the difference in how children grow in married homes, compared to non-married homes?

24.How do you think marriage is portrayed in the media?

25.Do you think marriage portrayal in the media has anything to do with your choice?

26.Any personal thoughts you would like to share on marriage?

 

[Guppy051708]

My responses:

Spoiler

1.How old are you?

24

2.Do you own or rent your home?

own

3.What is the highest degree of education you hold?

Bachelor of Science from Penn State

4.What is your average annual income?

$72,000

5.What is your ethnicity? (Optional)

6.Do you live in the city or suburbs?

Suburbs? There arn't really any cities around here, so im not sure if that is the proper term or not, but closer than city. (It's a very rural area)

7.Do you own a car? What make?

My husband and I jointly own our one (and only) car- a 2008 Toyota Prius Hybrid.

8.How long have you been with your significant other?

Together for a total of 10 years. Married for 5 years.

9.Are you living together?

Yes.

10.Have you any children?

Yes.

11.Are you married?

Yes.

12.Why did you choose to get married (or not get married)?

Because we felt we belonged together. Soul mates. Best friends, etc.


13.Was your choice to get married (or not get married) was due to financial reasons?

No, however, it did make things easier, but it was not the reason to our marriage.

14.In your opinion, what are the benefits of being married?

Too many to list In no particular order:

life long Companionship
Support system
Someone to care for and look after, and for them to care after you
Trust system
Life is more fulfilling and happy
The institution of marriage generally makes me feel secure and safe. There is a higher level of trust and reliance.
Tax benefit.
Sex
Improved our relationship with God.
Gurantee that there is another parent to help parent the children.
Secure housing and secure financial situation.
Relationship is viewed as more "legit" by family and friends.
Health insurance and participation in spouses employer benefits.
Co owning vehicles/homes.

15.How is government, in your opinion and experience, doing anything to influence your choice to get married/not get married?

The tax benefits, health insurance benefits, life insurance benefits, etc help but it was not a factor in deciding to get married. Just an additional bonus. (We got married before we even had jobs with benefits or before filing taxes as we got married young, so this had extremely minimal (if any) weight in our marriage).

16.In your opinion, what are the benefits of not getting married, but still living together and having a family?

I feel that in the majority of cases, cohabiting effects relationships negatively. The only benefit i could potentially see coming from such is the financial aspect of being able to split bills and consolidate so you dont have multiple payments (i.e. two rents, two electric bills, etc.). Otherwise, i think cohabiting will eventually led to one of two scenarios: 1.) They break up and dont have anything to fall back on. 2.) They stay together/ get married only for the financial benefit (it's hard to get out of), but then are miserable and typically end up divorced. Rarely do cohabitating couples last. (though there is always that small exception to the rule).

Parents living together could have a potential benefit for children. They see both of their parents and have access to them in the same household, even if they arn't married. There could a benefit to the couple as well because they are guranteed help in raising the children.

17.If you were married before, and now choose to not get married anymore, why? (If first marriage, or never married, skip this question.)

18.What affects your decision? Finances, age, media, friends, trust, etc. (If you skipped question 17, skip this one)

19.What does marriage mean to you?

It means that you have made a commitment to be the soul provider/receiver of love, trust, and reliance. It is divine, God inspired. ..."oneness"

20.How do you think marriage is portrayed in this country?

Anymore it almost seems like either people do not care about it and it doesn't matter or it seems like it's the end of your life if you get married.
With a 60% divorce rate, i would say that the institution of marriage is quickly failing. Well, not the institution of marriage itself, but more the lack of reverence for marriage in this country. It's easy to make excuses why you shouldn't ever get married. It's just as easy to call it quits when you are married. However, I do not believe there is enough interest in keeping married couples married, otherwise there would be more resources (i.e. free marital counseling, etc)

21.Do you think there is a higher chance of relationship lasting if the couple is married?

I think there is a higher chance of the relationship lasting if they are married. Mostly because it's a lot more challenging to get a divorce from a spouse than it is to break up with a boyfriend/girlfriend. There is typically more on the line in marriages. With that said, the divorce rate is astronomical, so anymore it may not make much a difference. The people who stay together would be the kind of people who make the marital commitment and stick with it. But just bc you make the commitment does not mean you actually mean it. Everyone who lasts makes the commitment to get married. But not everyone that makes the commitment to get married actually means it.

22.How do you think marriage effects your children?

Typically, I think it is a positive relationship to watch grow, through the eyes of a child (outside of abuse, neglect, that sort of thing). I think children are more secure and confident when they have both parents in the home. And even if they see the parent occasionally fight, they learn how to interact and how to form relationships and grow as a person. Married parents also demonstrate to children what marriage looks like and how to grow and live with it.

23.In your opinion, what is the difference in how children grow in married homes, compared to non-married homes?



24.How do you think marriage is portrayed in the media?

Like a joke
I see it viewed a few ways. The first is that marriage is a drag. The wife or the husband is an annoyance. Rarely is seen as a positive thing.

The other view is that if you do get married you have to have the education, the job, the money, the cars, the house before you even consider marrying someone. And when you finally do get married, the reverence is so minimal that you get divorced and or/cheat easily. Minimual commitment.

Everyone LOVES weddings. Spend $50K and it's a dandy old time. After that, no one cares. But when the first issue arises, just get a divorce.

25.Do you think marriage portrayal in the media has anything to do with your choice?

No. If it did, i wouldn't have gotten married at 20, while i was still in college If the media had an effect on me, I would likely wait until I graduated college, got my career advanced, and was financially stable. Then I would consider marriage. I believe the media does effect the way most Americans view marriage, though.

26.Any personal thoughts you would like to share on marriage?

 

[uadreamybabe]

thank you for your response

 

[magicwhisper]

1.How old are you?
21
2.Do you own or rent your home?
we rent
3.What is the highest degree of education you hold?
diploma level 3
4.What is your average annual income?
i work in supply so it varies a lot week to week
5.What is your ethnicity? (Optional)
welsh white
6.Do you live in the city or suburbs?
small town
7.Do you own a car? What make?
no neither of us drive
8.How long have you been with your significant other?
2 years and 5 months
9.Are you living together?
yes we are
10.Have you any children?
we are TTC our first
11.Are you married?
no we are engaged
12.Why did you choose to get married (or not get married)?
so far it is too expensive to get married
13.Was your choice to get married (or not get married) was due to financial reasons?
yes
14.In your opinion, what are the benefits of being married?
to me it is to show the world how much you are comitted to each other
15.How is government, in your opinion and experience, doing anything to influence your choice to get married/not get married?
they don't change anthing
16.In your opinion, what are the benefits of not getting married, but still living together and having a family?
i don't think it matters either way
17.If you were married before, and now choose to not get married anymore, why? (If first marriage, or never married, skip this question.)
n/a
18.What affects your decision? Finances, age, media, friends, trust, etc. (If you skipped question 17, skip this one)
n/a
19.What does marriage mean to you?
a dedication and show of live to the person you plan to spend the rest of your life with
20.How do you think marriage is portrayed in this country?
i think alot of people arn't getting married recently due to the high costs of it. Businesses make a massive profit out of marriage which is a shame
21.Do you think there is a higher chance of relationship lasting if the couple is married?
i don't think it changes. If a couple are meant to be together they will be
22.How do you think marriage effects your children?
n/a
23.In your opinion, what is the difference in how children grow in married homes, compared to non-married homes?
to me as long as it is happy household it doesn't matter
24.How do you think marriage is portrayed in the media?
it's either quick marriages and divorce or long term with them it changes
25.Do you think marriage portrayal in the media has anything to do with your choice?
no
26.Any personal thoughts you would like to share on marriage?
that it is a personal decision for a couple to make