Research - Marriage and Culture

Modern view on Marriage and Traditions:

Marriage Trend in Singapore (1994)
- "Singapore's singlehood rate is rapidly rising and is one of the highest in the world. The increase in the celibacy rate is also associated with the general trend towards a delay in marriage. This paper provides a statistical overview of the singlehood trends and marriage timing in Singapore. It also presents some findings on marriage delay from the Survey on Courtship and Marriage."
- "Among the better educated, the singlehood rates were remarkably high. For female graduates, 25 per cent of those aged 35-39 were unmarried in 1993. For graduate men, the rate was lower at 13 per cent. For the lower educated, the trend was reversed : 21 per cent of men with below secondary education in the same age group remained single in 1993, compared to 9 per cent for women."
- "In 1992, the most important reason for the relatively long duration of courtship and the delay in marriage was the need to own a house or flat before marriage. The second major consideration in the marriage decision was having enough savings for wedding expenses, followed by the desire to know one's partner well. These priorities had changed since 1988, when couples were more concerned with knowing their partners well, while housing and financial considerations ranked second and third. The present trend reflects a change in the expectations and attitudes towards tying the nuptial knot."

Russia: Make Love, Have Baby, Get Money
- "Russia is encouraging couples to frolic today for Conception Day. It hopes to boost the country's population."
- "Wednesday is officially conception day."
- "The first competition was held in 2005, when 311 women participated, according to the AP. The same prizes were offered to couples on Sept. 12, 2006, and 78 babies were born on Russia Day 2007. The number was more than three times the daily average."

Russian Governor Sponsors Conception Day
- "Russians Urged to Have Babies, Win Prizes in Annual Contest to Fight Demographic Decline"
- "Under the federal program, women who give birth to a second or subsequent child are to receive certificates worth $10,000, which can be used to pay for education or to improve the family's living conditions."
- "More than 500 women signed up for the second contest on Sept. 12, 2006. Exactly nine months later, 78 babies, triple the region's daily average, were born."