I found this rather intresting article by Leon R. Kass talking about how courtship and relationships are very messed up in our times. It's a long but good read.
http://www.thepublicinterest.com/notable/article7.html
In the end, even though Kass offers many points which one cannot argue against I have to say that I think he is seeing the past though rose collored glassess.
Yes, people married sooner and devorced less in the past (50's and back); but it wasn't this way because relationships were any better but because there were social preasures kept people together. Divorce was looked down upon and couples were supposed to "thought it out". People had to put up with all the same crap they do today accept back then it was your "private" bussiness.
I have hear allot of talk about the doom and gloom of sexuality in our times but frankly I think that overall there is progress and it certainly isn't any worse.