Age of marriage Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Age of marriage - Research Paper Example Marriage comes in many different forms across cultures, and has varied widely throughout history. Today in Western cultures, people tend to get married later than in other parts of the world and later than previous generations within the same culture. Additionally, it will explore the possible consequences of people getting married at a later age, including the possibility of a reduction in divorce rates and longer periods of time spent on education and career-building prior to marriage and producing children. Section One In the U.S., as well as other Western countries, the median age of marriage has increased dramatically in the last few years. For example, between 1890 and 1980, women got married at the age of 22, with only slight fluctuations in the years between (Uecker & Stokes 840). Similarly, the age at which men got married actually went down between these years, going from 26 to 25 (Uecker & Stokes 840). Since 1980, however, the average age at marriage for both men and women has increased, with women in the year 2000 being 25.1 on average, and men being 26.8. People now are even older, with the last estimates in 2008 giving the median age for women as 26.1 and the average age for men being 28.2 (Uecker & Stokes 840). Not only has the median age increased, but fewer people are married in the U.S. than ever before, with a decrease in married individuals from 72% in 1960 to just over half in 2008 (Uecker & Stokes 840), which is linked to the later age of marriage. There are a variety of reasons why people are choosing to get married at a later age. ... , however, women are actively encouraged into education and therefore are becoming more interested in working full-time, having a career and participating in the working world as only men did at one time in history. Women who focus on their career have been shown to delay marriage, and to particularly delay having children (Lehrer & Chen 1), as these developments are distracting for women in the workplace. With these developments has come a reduced stigma for women choosing to live on their own, which means that it is now socially acceptable for anyone to choose work and to be self-sufficient without a partner, leading to the amoralization of later age marriages. As the role of women has changed, so have their legal rights with respect to marriage. In 1933, for example, women were granted citizenship outside of their husbands (Coontz 143), meaning that they were fully-fledged Americans, which they had not previously been. In 1975, married women began to be allowed to have financial c redit in their own name (Coontz 145). It is decisions like these which make getting married less of a necessity for women (as they can now function independently) and more of a choice, which means that more and more people are taking their time over the decision and thus getting married later in life. Another reason why people are getting married later is due to the moral boundaries surrounding sex. Whereas previously, sex outside of marriage was frowned upon in most circles, it is now generally accepted outside of strict religion (Gilbert 222). One of the major reasons for getting married in the past was to have legitimate children; with this boundary removed, there is no longer the pressure to get married so young. Additionally, many of those who got pregnant outside of marriage would

Urban Legend of Photos of Hikers on the Appalachian Trail :: Urban Legends

Lost Among the Leaves: Secret Photos of Hikers on the Appalachian Trail This story, which I have named â€Å"Lost in the Leaves†, is a very detailed and place specific version of the unexplained photographs legends. While unexplained photograph legends often involve humorous pictures taken as a practical joke, there is also a darker streak of these legends. These are legends where mysterious photographs reveal just how near a person was to death through photographs developed after the fact. The fear in these is of what could have happened. In this version however, the photographs serve to warn the endangered as well. This urban legend thus allows other interpretations for why the photographs were taken, and shown to the endangered party. I collected this urban legend from a Freshman here at the University. It was told to him as a scary story when he was hiking along the Appalachian trail, about five years ago. Have you ever been on the Appalachian Trail? OK. The man who proposed it had a utopian vision of a long, tenuous string of outposts stretching from Maine to Georgia, such that adventurous young men and women, possibly disenfranchised by society and the economy, could trek from one end of the country to the other sharing each night with similarly disposed adventurers. Each outpost was to consist of dozens of beds, a kitchen, a chess set sitting on the porch. The idea was every traveler should feel at liberty to pursue the trail at whatever speed they desired, with the assurance that wherever their feet took them they would find welcome. Reality falls a little short of this vision -- most of the shelters are actually three-sided cabins with four bunks-- Mouse infested-- But still, finding a structure of obviously human origin in the wilderness is a comforting thing. Sometimes, on the trail, you'll come across an artifact of a previous traveler -- say -- a rope swing -- that is obviously constructed with such care that it seems to carry something of the soul of the person who put it there. I remember once coming to the top of a mountain and finding a meadow that was bare grass except for one tree in the middle -- and from that tree hung a rope swing that looked to have been there for decades. The Appalachian Trail convinces those who follow it of the existence of ghosts. Benevolent ghosts.

Mythic and Fairy

The feeling of impending danger as the story progresses is created for the reader in Joyce Carol Oates’ short story, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?, through employing mythical elements to describe what is happening in the plot. Throughout the story, she uses several descriptions associated with the devil to serve as metaphors for the male character and what happens to Connie as also symbolic of the power of evil to tempt, conquer, and destroy the individual. Connie is the symbol of innocence. A young girl of fifteen, she is at the time of adolescence when young women begin to explore beyond their childhood lives and have a taste of how it is like to be a grown-up. She is also pretty, obsessed with mirrors and fussing with her looks. She is very unlike her plain older sister. Like most pretty girls her age who want excitement and not be â€Å"plain and steady† like the sister, Connie is giggly and eager for new things, unaware that danger lurks ready to exploit the fantasies of girls like her. She is like innocent Red Riding Hood who thinks the woods are nice, cozy places to travel through unaware of the wolf that lives within. After describing Connie and her family, the author introduces the technique of incorporating mythic element in the story by describing the drive-in restaurant as a â€Å"sacred building that loomed up out of the night to give them what haven and blessings they yearned for†¦the music was†¦like music at a church service†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚   The restaurant is a wholesome place for young people to meet and enjoy each other’s company. However, once Connie gets out of the restaurant towards the parking lot, she is not safe anymore. The devil lurks just outside sacred places, ready to tempt anyone who gets out of the temple and who is willing to do something naughty and fun. It is outside where Connie sees Arnold Friend for the first time although they would not be introduced to each other then as Connie is with Eddie, a wholesome boy her age whom she meets in the â€Å"sacred† restaurant. Right after that first meeting, the story begins its creepy quality as the author focuses on Arnold Friend and uses mythological and cultural associations with the devil to describe him.   One association is how Arnold Friend comes into the picture and how he looks like. His approach is announced by the â€Å"glow of slow-pulsed joy that seemed to rise mysteriously out of the music† which Connie was listening to at the time her parents and sister went to a barbecue party at her aunt’s one weekend, leaving her alone in the house. Rock and roll music, songs that are fast and hard, is associated with rebellious teenagers. Arnold Friend appears to her with a rock song in the background and looking like a rock star himself, just like the men in Connie’s fantasy. He had â€Å"fair brown hair†¦sideburns (that) gave him a fierce, embarrassed look†¦wore sunglasses†¦tight faded jeans stuffed into black, scuffed boots, a belt that pulled his waist in and showed how lean he was†¦the jaw and chin and cheeks slightly darkened because he hadn’t shaved†¦and the nose long and hawklike.† His features are sharp, his attire scruffy, and his bearing is very manly. He appeals to her fantasy to look appealing to her, thus making it easier to achieve his purpose. However, the skin around his eyes, which she notices when he takes off his glasses, was â€Å"like holes that were not in shadow but instead in light.† The eyes themselves were â€Å"like chips of broken glass that light in an amiable way.† They were devilish eyes, bright and unlike normal human eyes. When he speaks, it is in â€Å"a simple lilting voice, exactly as if he were reciting the words to a song.† He constantly smiles, too. His name is Arnold Friend, an obvious pun on â€Å"fiend†. He is obviously a bad guy with bad intentions but one who disguises them well. No other name is more trustworthy than one who has â€Å"Friend† for a family name. Arnold rides a golden jalopy. The shiny car symbolizes how the temptations of evil always come in a dazzling and attractive package. Connie herself is amused and fascinated with the car. He uses signals and secret codes. When the car comes to a stop by the front door, â€Å"the horn sounded four taps.† Beside Arnold Friend’s car are more codes: the numbers 33, 19, and 17. He also tells Connie at one point during their conversation that he has a sign, the letter X. Superstition, with its preoccupation with codes, signs and numbers, is connected with the dark side. Another association is the suggestion that Arnold Friend knows everything about Connie and is even telepathic. When he calls Connie by name, she is surprised since she never introduced herself at any time before he drives into their doorstep. He knows the names of her family members, all her friends from school, and tells her that he can see what is happening at Aunt Tillie’s barbecue party at the very moment that he is talking to her. Connie, of course, realizes the danger she is in although it takes some time to sink in because at first she thinks she can just waive Arnold off and he would simply leave her alone. She knows the clues to the kind of brewing trouble she is facing with Arnold when she recognizes â€Å"that sleepy dreamy smile that all the boys used to get across ideas they didn’t want to put into words†¦and the singsong way he talked, slightly mocking, kidding, but serious†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She knows the game of temptation and she tries to resist as hard as she could. Later on in the conversation, however, when Connie continues to resist and especially when she threatens him with calling the police, Arnold slowly takes off the mask he has put on to seduce her with sweetness and becomes forceful. Evil cannot keep on its sweet face when it realizes how it is on the verge of defeat. When it cannot get its way through sweet talk and wheedling, it would resort to the use of force and violence. Connie also recognizes the shift and she feels real panic and fear. Arnold makes it clear to her when he says, â€Å"the place where you came from ain’t there any more, and where you had in mind to go is cancelled out.† Of course, Connie could have called her parents or the police and it could have frightened Arnold off and leave her. After all, she is inside the house while he is locked outside. He cannot go in and it would have taken him some time to break the door, long enough for Connie to make the call. But like the devil, he plays with her weakness, confusion and fear at the moment. Arnold controls himself, knowing that it would work better if Connie comes out of her own will. He continues to seduce her with promises of a pleasurable experience. He promises to bring her â€Å"to a nice field, out in the country here† where Arnold will â€Å"have (his) arms tight around (her).† He tries to convince her that she is better than any of her family members and only he can understand her and her needs best. Towards the end of the story, Arnold keeps coaxing until Connie feels she is not herself anymore. The author describes it as an incantation. She is lured and hypnotized by his words. She has become an observer watching herself â€Å"put out her hand against the screen†¦push the door slowly open†¦moving out into the sunlight where Arnold Fiend waited.† She has given up herself to the devil. She has fallen from grace. She will never be the same again. Using descriptive elements associated with the mythical creature called the devil proves to be an effective technique in developing the story because it adds that extra element of scariness in the reading. The reader associate what is happening in the story with the extra imageries and it intensifies the suspense and anticipation of the obviously tragic ending of the female character. The ending is not only about Connie giving herself up to Arnold. It is also about how evil has tempted innocence, wins over her, and leads her to a terrible end. Work Cited Oates, Joyce Carol. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

MADRID Surname Meaning and Family History

The Madrid  surname was often used to denote  someone  who came from Madrid. During the Middle Ages when the  surname came into being, Madrid was a modest-sized town; only becoming the capital of Spain in 1561. The origin of the name is uncertain, but possibly  a derivative of Late Latin  matrix, meaning riverbed. When Jews converted to Christianity in Spain in the 15th century, whether voluntarily or by force, they often took a last name based on their town or city or origin. Surname Origin:  Spanish, Jewish Alternate Surname Spellings:  Lamadrid, De La Madrid Famous People with the Surname MADRID Miguel de la Madrid  - President of Mexico from 1982–1989Juan Madrid - Spanish writer Places the MADRID Surname Is Common The Madrid  surname is most prevalent in Mexico, according to surname distribution data from Forebears, where it ranks 449th in the nation. Based on population percentage, however, it  is most common in Honduras, where it ranks as the nations 58th most common surname. Madrid is also a frequent surname in many other Hispanic countries, including  the Philippines, Spain, Chile, Colombia,  Venezuela, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Panama. WorldNames PublicProfiler identifies the Madrid surname as being somewhat common in Spain, especially in the regions of Murcia and Castilla-La Mancha, followed by Andalucia, Communidad Valencia, Cataluna, and Castilla Y Leon.  Madrid is also found in more significant  numbers in northwest Argentina and the southwestern United States, particularly in the state of New Mexico. Genealogy Resources for the Surname MADRID 50 Common Hispanic Surnames Their MeaningsGarcia, Martinez, Rodriguez, Lopez, Hernandez, are you one of the millions of people sporting one of these top 50 common Hispanic last names?Get started researching your Jewish roots with this guide to basic genealogy research, unique Jewish resources and records, and suggestions for the best Jewish genealogy Web sites and databases to search first for your Jewish ancestors.How to Research Hispanic AncestryExplore these 10 steps to help you uncover your Hispanic ancestors, including the basics of family tree research in Spain, Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, and other Spanish speaking countries.Madrid  Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Madrid  family crest or coat of arms for the Madrid surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was original ly granted.MADRID Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Madrid surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Madrid query.FamilySearch - MADRID  GenealogyExplore over 270,000  historical records which mention individuals with the Madrid surname, as well as online Madrid family trees on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.DistantCousin.com - MADRID Genealogy Family HistoryFree databases and genealogy links for the last name Madrid.GeneaNet - Madrid  RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Madrid  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries.The Madrid  Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Madrid  from the website of Genealogy Today. Sources: Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back toGlossary of Surname Meanings Origins