In recent decades many new formats for marriage have been tried and suggested. In America the 1960's and 1970's brought many social and cultural changes in terms of the women's movement and shifting sex roles which resulted in questioning of old values in the areas of relationship and marriage. Some of these changes were a dramatic departure from the conservatism of post war 1950's, during which the re-establishment of the nuclear family became paramount in importance. But what has been accomplished by this seemingly disruptive, destructive reexamination of family values and traditional marriage? It is the purpose of this paper to thoughtfully propose a theoretical approach to marriage which will incorporate the best of the old and the new--a practical and reasonable synthesis of traditional values and the values of several modern thinkers.
During past generations, people did not live as long, and it was reasonable for people to expect that one selection of mate would last a lifetime, not so long if the lifetime was only 40 or 50 years. However, in present times, as people can expect to live into their late 70's, 80's, or even 90's, it is not so logical to think that one can at age 18 or 19 predict what type of partner will be interesting and satisfying 60 or 70 years later. Adults as a matter of course expect to change jobs and careers a few times during a lifetime, and different marriages and relationships can be viewed in this same way, a function of the evolvement of the individual.
Margaret Mead proposed, after her studies in anthropology, that there be several different types or levels of marriages. This seems reasonable in terms of the differing developmental needs of various stages of adulthood. Prolonged adolescence without a society-sanctioned sexual relationship with another is not desirable, but many persons in their late teens and early twenties are not yet ready to rear children and make a lifetime commit...