The Evolution of Marriage and Family Dynamics

Modern Family Dynamics: New Understandings

These results characterize a new way of understanding and experiencing relationship, marriage, and family life, marked by the following peculiarities:

1. The Centrality and Fragility of Love

It is time that love serves as the fundamental reason and framework of a relationship or marriage. All elements of family life should be bound by the mortar of love:

• Mutual respect
• Cooperation
• Emotional and sexual understanding
• Economic stability
• The children

BUT: Love is a fragile thing. If you are not careful, it goes out, becomes stiff, often disappoints, fails to mature, and dissipates. The marriage and family unit is sustained by something that depends entirely on its members: spouses, and parent-child relationships.

2. From Subordination to Reciprocity

It was time for the marriage relationship to be thought of and lived as an Alliance (religious marriage) or as a covenant/contract between equals in a common project.

BUT: There are too many traces, reflections, and inertia from the patriarchal and sexist past (very close, still present) that resurface (if not yet entirely gone), especially during moments or situations of discussion, tension, and conflict.

We must comment on the violent resurgence of machismo. Although equality is gaining ground in many environments, there are still many personal and cultural difficulties. Achieving equality for women and men will make us better people, better spouses, and better parents.

3. Desired Children, Disturbingly Low Numbers

Driven by love and recognizing their intrinsic value, our society has undergone a significant change. Children are part of this project, interwoven with the love of the couple. In this way, children come into this world called by the intense desire of loving parents.

BUT: Children are scarce. And though few, they can decenter the couple. It should be noted that even unwanted or rejected children still imply the responsibility to educate them and keep them going. Some parents become so obsessed with their children that they forget that before being parents, they are married.