This research project aims to gain an understanding of the social patterning of marriage attitudes in contemporary Australia, by examining socio-demographic and socioeconomic factors. Marriage rates and trends continue to change significantly in the contemporary era. As social trends change, our views toward social institutions such as marriage continue to change in accordance. Very few Australian studies to date have addressed the questions proposed in this research study particularly as they related to the first decade of 21st century. Vast arrays of social factors have yet to be examined in order to understand the effects on marriage attitudes in 2000s. This research project aims to bridge this gap.

This thesis conducts a quantitative investigation using data from Wave 8 of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, conducted in 2008/09. The final sample included in this study consists of 10,164 respondents, ranging in age from 15 to 93 years. Univariate and bivariate analyses are conducted using SPSS. This study confirms that there are many social factors which influence marriage attitudes, which range on a scale from traditional to very modern. Factors such as sex, age, relationship status, parental characteristics, education and occupation were all found to have a significant influence on one’s attitude toward marriage, among others.