Causes and Consequences of Postponing the Decision to Marry in the Opinion of Young Adults

Oct 17, 2026

Uploaded by jay

Aim. This article analyses why young adults in the postmodern world postpone the decision to marry, focusing on both psychosocial and economic-cultural factors. Methods. The study uses surveys and questionnaire interviews with 28 young adults aged 18–35 in informal partnerships; an unsupervised online questionnaire was distributed. Results. Reasons are grouped into psychosocial pressures related to societal developmental tasks and economic-cultural change affecting young people’s standards. Conclusion. Young adults recognize consequences but often hold a neutral or positive view of postponed marriage under shifting circumstances.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Aim

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Introduction

Marriage decline and postponement among young adults

Postmodern transformations affecting marriage and family

Legal definition of marriage in Poland

Causes and Consequences of Postponing the Decision to Marry in the Opinion of Young Adults Aleksandra Rabenda-Nowak Institute of History, Vistula University ul. Stokłosy 3, 02-787 Warszawa E-mail address: [rabenda.ola@gmail.com](rabenda.ola@gmail.com) ORCID: [https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5281-2703](https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5281-2703) Kamila Wylęgły Institute of Pedagogy, University of Wrocław ul. Dawida 1, 50-527 Wrocław [E-mail address: wylegly.kamila@gmail.com](E-mail address: wylegly.kamila@gmail.com) ORCID: [https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9787-5046](https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9787-5046) Abstract Aim. The aim of this article is to analyse why young adults in the postmodern world postpone the decision to marry. The authors want to present the reasons for this situation on the basis of surveys conducted with young adults aged 18-35 years old, taking into consideration both psychosocial and economic-cultural factors. Methods. In the research procedure, the authors used the survey method and the questionnaire interview technique. The unsupervised survey questionnaire was distributed to the respondents online. The research sample consisted of 28 persons in the age group of young adults. All the respondents were in informal partnerships. Results. Among young adults aged 18-35 years old, reasons for postponing marriage may be divided into psychosocial, related to the pressure of society to carryout developmental tasks and social roles; as well as economic and cultural, focusing on cultural changes and economic standards of young people. Conclusion. Young adults see the consequences of postponing the decision to marry, but it seems like changing cultural and social circumstances of the postmodern world allow them to make a conscious decision regarding their future. They have a neutral or positive attitude towards postponed marriage. Keywords: family, marriage, informal relationship, cohabitation, postmodern society, young adults A word of Introduction about Getting Married Accolopinengt, to the Orin almostgaanllisationOECD oor Econuntrieso,micmarrCiaog-operate ratesionhavaenddeDeveclinedover the past few decades. Numbers differ by state, but Poland is one of the countries in which this indicator declined. It is rather not a rapid, but steady trend. To illustrate, at the turn of 1980 and 1990, there were 250 000 new marriages in Poland concluded each year. In 2013, there were 70 000 marriages less (Główny Urząd Statystyczny [GUS], 2016; Rosswen, 2018; OECD, n.d.) . There are many reasons explaining why marriage rates in Poland decline. The authors of this article want to establish why people in Poland, specifically young adults aged 18-35 years old, postpone their decision to marry, which is a part of the above-mentioned phenomena of marriage decline. It is impossible to consider the changes in the institution of marriage and family without taking into account the dynamics of postmodern society. Recent social changes, fragmentation, and diversity have made the institution of family more a matter of personal choice and, as a result, it became more unstable and diverse. New theories about social change should be the framework for describing the issues marriage and family face these days (Thompson, 2015). These theories describe transformations in society in the following fields: technological-information, economic, cultural, and social. They present dynamic changes which took place in society since the end of the industrial era in the 1960s. in terms of economy, professional activation of previously excluded groups, scientific progress, new social movements, sexual and feminist revolution or new values and ideologies in general (Slany, 2022) . Globalisation, consumerist lifestyle, as well as questioning of common practices have changed the traditional model of a family and undermined the institution of marriage (Ritzer, 1997) . Traditional arrangements of life were replaced by criteria for individual

FAQs

What is the main aim of the article?

The article analyses why young adults postpone the decision to marry, using survey data and considering psychosocial and economic-cultural factors.

How was the research conducted and who participated?

The authors used surveys with questionnaire interviews. The unsupervised online questionnaire involved 28 participants aged 18–35 in informal partnerships.

What types of reasons for postponing marriage are identified?

The article groups reasons into psychosocial factors, including social pressure for developmental tasks and roles, and economic-cultural factors related to cultural changes and economic standards for young people.

Oct 17, 2026

Uploaded by jay