Millennials and their attitude toward marriage

Iako je još uvijek najčešći oblik bliske veze među partnerima, odnos prema braku kao i njegova struktura, mijenjaju se usporedno s društvom. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je dobiti dublji uvid o stavovima koje generacija milenijalaca ima o braku: što im brak znači i kako se uklapa u njihove životne ciljeve, koje godine smatraju idealnim za stupanje u brak, kako vrednuju roditeljstvo i ohabitaciju u usporedbi s brakom, smatraju li da je sreća povezana sa bračnim statusom te kako percipiraju razlike među generacijama u kontekstu braka. Polustrukturirani dubinski intervjui provedeni su s 24 sudionika u dobi od 21 do 27 godina iz Dubrovačko-neretvanske županije. Sudionici braku pridaju značenje zajednice i ljubavi, a manjem djelu brak predstavlja formalnost. Žele se vjenčati i to žele napraviti u tridesetima, nakon završetka fakulteta i pronalaska posla. Glavno očekivanje od braka im je podrška od partnera. Sudionici smatraju da su idealne godine za stupanje u brak kada je u pitanju žena u rasponu od 24 do 30 a kada je u pitanju muškarac u rasponu od 26 do 30 godina zbog toga što su u tim godinama muškarci i žene zreli i ozbiljni. Imaju Negativan stav prema braku u dvadesetima jer smatraju da su osobe tada nezrele kao i prema braku u četrdesetima zbog smanjenje reproduktivne moći muškarca i žene. Idealnim smatraju brak u tridesetima jer misle da su pojedinci tada zreli i samostalni. Roditeljstvo je sudionicima važnije od braka jer je neraskidivo te žele biti nekome uzor. Smatraju da status veze nije povezan sa srećom a podijeljeni su kod usporedbe vrijednosti kohabitacije i braka: polovica ih smatra da je brak vrjedniji a polovica da nema razlike. Mišljenja su da se stav njihove generacije prema braku promijenio a najviše odgovornim smatraju liberalizam. Smatraju da brak danas predstavlja obvezu dok je prije predstavljao svetinju.Although it is still the most common form of relationship between the partners, view toward marriage and its structure are changing with society. The purpose of this study is to gain deeper understanding of attitudes of millennial generation toward marriage: what does marriage mean to them and how it fits in their life goals, what age do they consider the best to get married, how do they value parenthood and cohabitation in comparison with marriage, do they consider marital status related to happiness and how they perceive generational differences in the context of marriage. In depth interviews were conducted with 24 students between the ages of 21 and 27 from Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Participants contribute the meaning of love and community to marriage and marriage is formality only for a minor part of them. They want to get married and they want to do that in their thirties, after they graduate and find a job. Their main expectation of marriage is support from a partner. Participants belive that perfect years to get married are between the ages of 24 and 30 when it comes to women and between ages of 26 and 32 when it comes to men because of the fact that both women and men are mature in these years. They have a negative attitude toward marrying in the twenties because they believe that people are immature then and negative attitude toward marrying in the forties due to the reduction of the reproductive power of men and women. Ideally they consider marriage in the thirties because they think that individuals are then mature and self-reliant. Parenting is more important to the participants than marriage because they think it is inseparable and they want to be a role model to someone. They find that the relationship status is not related to happiness and they don’t agree about value of marriage vs. cohabitation: half of them thinks that marriage is more valuable and half of them thinks there is no difference. They think that their generation's attitude toward marriage has changed and liberalism is considered the most responsible. It is thought that marriage today represents an obligation and previously it represented something sacred