You’re Throwing Your Life Away: Sanctioning of Early Marital Timelines by Religion and Social Class

• In Event: 1283 - Section on the Sociology of the Family Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 04. Qualitative Studies of Couples and Relationships

Abstract

In the midst of a shifting economic and cultural landscape, many young adults spend their twenties focused on individual achievement and self-actualization while delaying entrance into social roles such as marriage. Yet religion, particularly Evangelical Protestantism, places a high value on marriage as the legitimate context for sexuality and childbearing— which encourages earlier unions. This paper, based on 87 interviews with dating, engaged, and married Evangelical young adults (age 18-29), describes the social reaction to respondents’ marital timelines, which are typically at younger ages than their secular peers. Two sources of strong sanctioning emerge. First, secular influences from outside of these respondents’ religious communities almost unilaterally disapprove of early marriage plans. Second, even within religious communities, Evangelicals from middle class cultural milieus face additional disapproval, as their family formation plans are often interpreted as compromising their educational and career goals. This paper offers important insight on the intersecting roles of religion and social class in shaping the trajectories of young adults.

Author

• Patricia Tevington, University of Pennsylvania