Love and Marriage

It is much less uncommon today for two people to have a child outside of marriage, especially in the United States. In many societies when a child is born outside of wedlock it is considered to be illegitimate, meaning that the child cannot be a rightful heir to their parent's estate. Sometimes illegitimate children are also denied some basic civil rights based upon their status. In the United States, having an illegitimate child can carry a strong social stigma, especially for unwed teenage mothers whose children are often reared by their grandparents as their own child or the sister/brother of the actual mother. In many cultures the father assumes no responsibility due to apathy, attitudes about sex and difficultly determining paternity.
Considering some of the major functions of marriage such as creating a family environment for children to grow in, I think there is a relationship between the type of society an individual belongs to and the choice to forgo the traditional benefits of marriage. In religious communities as big as the Catholic faith it is against the will of God for two parents to have a children outside of marriage. I'm sure that there are other major religions that hold the same beliefs as well. In many Middle Eastern countries women are forbid from showing their hair and face, I can only imagine the consequences for having a child outside of marriage. In the United States having a child outside of wedlock is becoming increasing common due to the availability of services such as adoption. Yet, the American Dream is still a happily married couple raising their children together in a nice home.
There are many cultural conditions where the choice to remain unmarried may present serious challenges such as in societies with poor economies, or those who rely on men to do the work and women to raise the children. A woman with no husband will have no source of income in these countries and raising the child will be very difficult. Like I said before, there are many societies where a woman having a child outside of wedlock is extremely taboo and could lead to punishment for a woman as well. The cultural conditions vary due to values, religion, money and common beliefs of society.