Thinking is changing rapidly in the era of traditional marriages: Pew Research Center’s survey made a big revelation, a large population of the country accepted the truth of ‘live-in’ trend. Modern Indian society and marriage views

In Indian society, marriage is considered a sacred bond of not only two individuals but also of two families and lasts for seven lives. In the last few years, due to the country’s metropolitan culture, western influences, economic freedom and personal preferences, rapid changes are being seen in the family and social fabric. Many surprising and interesting facts have come to light in a comprehensive survey conducted by the global research firm ‘Pew Research Center’ on the social and family values ​​of India. According to the survey data, the trend of living in ‘live-in relationship’ before traditional marriages is now increasing rapidly among the urban and semi-urban youth of the country. A large section of people believe that before taking an important decision like marriage, it has become necessary to ‘test’ each other mentally and practically (Compatibility Test).

Pew Research data: What do the people of India say?

In this social study by Pew Research Center, thousands of people from different parts of the country and across age groups were asked about their family life, marriage and modern relationships.

According to the survey, even in a country like India which respects traditional values, there is now an ideological change in the thinking of people regarding the idea of ​​spending some time with their partner before marriage or living in a live-in relationship. More than 75% of the people involved in the study admitted that in the modern era, it has become practically very important to test the habits, temperament and financial understanding of the partner in advance to increase the success rate of marriage and to avoid future divorce or marital discord. However, even today there are mixed reactions about it in the social and rural environment, but openness about it is increasing rapidly among the youth of metros (like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune).

Era of ‘Parakh’: Why is the craze for live-in increasing?

According to psychologists and sociologists, there are several major psychological and social reasons behind the inclination of youth towards live-in relationships:

• Avoiding rising divorce rates: Today’s generation is closely watching their parents or the surrounding society having failed marriages and couples going through the rounds of law courts. They want to be completely sure beforehand to avoid mental trauma and social pressure after marriage.

• Understanding of financial and household responsibilities: Living under the same roof gives a real appreciation of the partner’s small nature, anger management, financial management and involvement in household chores, which cannot be known only during dating.

• Freedom from family pressure: Many young people prefer to live an independent life on their own terms, away from the conventions and family interference imposed in the traditional marriage system.

The conflict between legal status and social acceptance

Even though the Supreme Court and the judiciary of the country have considered the live-in relationship between adult men and women of their own free will as legally valid and a part of their fundamental rights, a big ideological struggle is still going on at the social level regarding this. The older generation and people who believe in traditional values ​​consider it against Indian culture, while the new generation considers it a practical need of modern lifestyle.

This changing phase is proof that Indian society is now going through a transition period, where efforts are being made to find a new balance between tradition and modernity.