Marriage and family play such a significant roll throughout a child's life. Family is the primary institution where a child learns and develops his or her morals, personality, and character. A healthy marriage of two partners will provide a more secure and stable environment for a child. However, most teen relationships aren't even the most committed relationships; and definitely not stable enough to endure the challenges of raising a child.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbDLoh7bEVM&feature=related
Marriage should definitely not be the solution to handling teen pregnancy, because most of the time the male may only stick around "for the baby's sake," as stated by Andrew (In Janelle's episode). Although, today's society is more egalitarian, men are still expected to be the provider for the child. However, the completion of education is a main obstacle for a teen parent to overcome. Without a degree it is much more difficult for the mother or father to obtain a decent job and provide for their child. Let alone, both, the mother and father, of the child would face a consistent struggle trying to juggle his or her social life with the responsibility of motherhood and fatherhood. And to top things off, young men face the obstacle and "need" to defend his masculinity; through flaunting is level of status, power, and control (examples: girls, money, cars, clothes, etc.).
I feel that the comparison the Tyra Banks made with the band-aid can easily related to this. By two teens marrying, as result of a pregnancy, is like putting a band-aid over a gun wound; it only covers the initial issue, but doesn't cure it. Eventually, the wound will only get bigger and make matters worse.
Not to say that a family is only possible through marriage, I feel that as long as both parents are able to tolerate one another for the sake of the child, the better choice is to not get married.
Portia K.
I continually want to look at the larger social constrution of marriage. Because I think it is important when thinking critically about marriage we must break down the institution on discuss its function and purpose in societly. What is marriage to us? What does it look like? It has a very specific role in society. I encourage us to look at the reasons we believe marriage is so important in 16 and Pregnant, and why we believe that children born with in a "family" structure are considered in a more stable environment?
ReplyDeleteBrittany Wood
I would have to agree with you on somethings but when you get back to the whole picture it is all for the sake of the child. The child is the most important thing in the situation. The normal slogan for a teen mother is "I have to do what i have to do for my child". When you say that you are implying anything. I feel like because i was raised with both parents my child should be raised with both parents. That's just my point of view.
ReplyDeleteMarriage is an institution that should not be taken lightly or a decision made based on a teen pregnancy. Marriage like Tyra’s example does not fix what is broken or even cover the wound effectively. Although the best parenting might seem to come in a two parent household it becomes unsuccessful if both parents are struggling to be in a relationship that is not emotionally there. When parents try stay together for the ‘child’s sake’ they become more concerned with the relationship that isn’t working that they fail to take the necessary time and effort to raise their child in a stable environment. Teenagers are still changing and growing that these relationships may not last because they grow apart. Therefore young relationships are put on even thinner ice to walk on when children are involved.
ReplyDeleteNot to say that all teenage marriages won't last.
Kristi H.
Edin's article was a really good example of why marraige is constantly changing. Two main concerns are financial stability and trust between partners. I have yet to see an episode of 16 & pregnant where the parents had both trust and financial stability, with only a few that posess one of these. I'm not saying that these two are the end-all-be-all of reasons to wait to be married and have a family but I think they contribute to more successful marraiges. I think that if there was a couple of 16 year olds that were married with a child and posessed financial stability and complete trust between partners it is a lot less likely that they will divorce than a couple like Janelle and Andrew.
ReplyDeleteMegan Z
The second past 8:16 is by India M.
ReplyDelete