The_Outline___the_Different_Attitude_Toward_Marriage_Due_to_Generation_Gap

I. Introduction A. Hook: “The number of unmarried couples living together soared 12-fold from 430,000 in 1960 to 5.4 million in 2005.” B. Connecting information: In Thailand, although the statistic of couples who love together before marriage are not as high as the statistic in western countries, more couples are likely to live together before marriage. However, there are a lot of people who agree and disagree with cohabitation. Almost of people who agree with cohabitation are young generations. C. Thesis: There are several reasons causing young generation in Thailand tend to accept cohabitation/premarital relationship/living together before marriage more than the older generation. Nowadays, more and more people are likely to live together before marriage. According to the statistics from Michael McManus, the author of the book Marriage Saver, tells us that during almost five decades a number of unwedded spouse spending their lives together rises 12-fold from 430,000 in 1960 to 5.4 million in 2005. In Thailand, although the statistic of couples who live together before getting married is not as high as the statistic from the western countries, more couples tend to live together before wedding bells. However, there are a lot of people who disagree with cohabitation, especially the older generation. Young generation seems to accept more about premarital relationship and there are several reasons why they think so differently from their parents. II. Body A. The development of technology 1. The influences from western cultures flow into Thailand through technological media such as internet, movies, songs, etc. 2. Young generation, who grows up with technology, is likely to reach western cultures more than older generation. B. The more intense of feminism in Thailand 1. The older generation in Thailand believes that if a woman has sex with a man, it means she belongs to him. Woman who loses her virginity without getting married is called as flawed woman. 2. Feminism makes the young generation become more aware of gender equality. C. Individualism 1. The young generation respects the will of individual more than older generation. 2. The older generation takes society’s expectations more serious than people in new generation. (One of society’s expectation is a couple doesn’t live together before getting married.) III. Conclusion There is no winner in living together before marriage or getting married before living together. However, in order to avoid argument about this controversial issue, older generation and young generation should meet halfway. -------------------------------------------- [ 1 ]. http://www.rayfowler.org/2008/04/18/statistics-on-living-together-before-marriage/