Final answer:
The median age at first marriage has increased for both men and women since the 1960s due to factors such as divorce law liberalization, more women in the workforce, higher education levels, and changing socio-economic trends.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question examines the change in median age at first marriage from the 1960s to the present, highlighting a societal shift observable through demographic data. The correct answer to the proposed multiple-choice question is (c) increased for both men and women.
Over time, shifts in societal values, economic factors, and gender roles have contributed to this increase. For instance, the rise in divorce rates post the 1960s, influenced by the liberalization of divorce laws and an increase in women entering the workforce, corresponds with higher median marriage ages. Additionally, factors such as higher levels of education, increasing participation of married women in the labor force, and changes in marriage patterns, with high earners increasingly marrying other high earners, are associated with this trend.
Furthermore, the prevalence of single individuals, especially in metropolitan areas, points to changing lifestyle choices and attitudes toward marriage. Cohabitation and the decision to delay or opt out of marriage are now more common, as indicated by census data. With the highest recorded median ages for marriage being twenty-six for women and twenty-eight for men, the social landscape regarding marriage norms continues to evolve.