1 / 20

COHABITATION

COHABITATION. Presented by: Christin Ingold Kim Inman Laurie Jachym Crystle Johnson Rachael Jones. Definition . Unmarried persons living together (with sexual relations assumed) Hyde (2003). Cohabitation in the Past. Prior to 1970, cohabitation was illegal in most states Popenoe (1999)

taima
Download Presentation

COHABITATION

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. COHABITATION Presented by: Christin Ingold Kim Inman Laurie Jachym Crystle Johnson Rachael Jones

  2. Definition • Unmarried persons living together (with sexual relations assumed) • Hyde (2003)

  3. Cohabitation in the Past • Prior to 1970, cohabitation was illegal in most states • Popenoe (1999) • In 1960, there were 90 married couples per one cohabitating couple • A Few Facts on Cohabitation (2001) • The ‘anti-marriage’ sentiment of the 1960s and 1970s can be used to explain the small numbers of cohabitating couples during that time period • The Problem of Cohabitation (2001)

  4. Cohabitation Today • The majority of young people believe that it is a good idea to live with a person before marriage • Popenoe (1999) • A quarter of unmarried women between 25 and 39 are currently cohabitating • Popenoe (1999) • Today there are 12 married couples per one cohabitating couple • A Few Facts on Cohabitation (2001) • In the U.S., cohabitating couples account for 5.5 million households • A Few Facts on Cohabitation (2001) • Cohabitating couples today are ‘anti-divorce’ and believe that a ‘trial-marriage’ will protect them from divorce • The Problem of Cohabitation (2001)

  5. Types of Cohabitation • Linus Blanket Relationships • Characterized by: • Need to be loved • Fear of being alone • Emancipation Relationships • Characterized by: • Attempt to prove freedom to others • Poor communication/conflict resolution skills • Convenience Relationships • Characterized by: • Splitting of expenses 50/50 • Females generally contribute 70% of the income • Convenient for the male involved • Testing Relationships • Characterized by: • Commitment to relationship • Practice marriage to test compatibility • Types of Cohabitors (2001)

  6. Reasons Behind Cohabitation • Many prenuptial, senior, and retired couples cohabit instead of marrying for financial reasons • Popenoe 1999 • People are more likely to cohabit if their parents have been divorced • The Problem of Cohabitation 2001 • Cohabitation has become a lifestyle for people who are less committed to marriage • The Problem of Cohabitation 2001 • American society is becoming individualistic and people are less willing to make sacrifices for others • The Problem of Cohabitation 2001

  7. ‘Anti-marriage’ sentiments Avoidance of divorce Fear of commitment Test of compatibility Expectation of a future relationship Independence Stability Value change Decline in the influence of religion Conformity Financial reasons Rebellion Explanations for Cohabitating (2001) Reasons Continued

  8. Positive Aspects of Cohabitation • Share expenses • Popenoe (1999) • Learn about each other • Popenoe (1999) • Avoid responsibility of partner’s debt • The Problem of Cohabitation (2001) • No legal entanglements • The Problem of Cohabitation (2001) • Easy to leave relationship • The Problem of Cohabitation (2001)

  9. Negative Aspects of Cohabitation • Lower levels of happiness, sexual enjoyment, and well-being than married couples • Popenoe (1999) • Cohabitation may lead to marital failure • Popenoe (1999) • Cohabiters are nine times more likely to split up than married couples • The Problem of Cohabitation 2001 • Cohabitation (lack of stability) is harmful for children • Popenoe (1999) • Living together is not necessarily a transition period that leads to marriage • Grabmeier (2004) • 42% of cohabiters disagree on the future of their relationship • Grabmeier (2004)

  10. Myths About Cohabitation • Everybody’s Doing It • 30-40% of college students cohabit • Economically It’s Worth It To Live Together • It is cheaper for two to live together • Compromise moral standards • Majority break up and finance is not a factor at that point • Cohabitation Increases Chances of a Happier Marriage • Divorce rate is sky rocketing and so is cohabitation (there is a correlation between the two) • Doing It Won’t Hurt Anyone • Friends/family are affected • It’s Nobody’s Business • There are birth, health, and disease issues associated with cohabitation that affect others • Myths About Cohabitation (2001)

  11. Myths Continued • It’s Alright Because We’re Really In Love • Love is the greatest reason to avoid premarital sexual relationships • But We’re Going to be Married Anyway • There is often one person in the relationship that does not think the relationship is permanent or lifelong • It’ll Enhance My Self-Esteem and Inner Security • People need to give all or nothing • If people only give pieces of themselves, then they will not be whole • Marriage is Only a Piece of Paper • Marriage is a commitment that is not there without the institution • Myths About Cohabitation (2001)

  12. Facts About Cohabitation • Nearly 50% of people in their 20s and 30s cohabit • The average length of cohabitation is 1.3 years • Long-term cohabitating relationships in the U.S. are rarer than marriages • If couples abstain from sex before marriage, they are 29-47% more likely to enjoy sex during marriage • Most cohabitating couples marry or break up within two years • A Few Facts on Cohabitation (2001)

  13. Facts Continued • 10-30% of cohabitors never plan to marry • Over 25% of unmarried mothers are cohabitating at the time of their children’s birth • 40% of cohabitating couples have children • Rates of depression are three times higher in cohabitating women • Cohabitating women are more irritable, anxious, worried, and unhappy • Assault is 62 times more likely among cohabitating couples • A Few Facts on Cohabitation (2001)

  14. Facts Continued • Cohabiters experience more difficulty in their future marriages with adultery, alcohol, drugs, and independence than their non-cohabitating counterparts • Cohabiters are more violent than married couples • Cohabiters are more likely than married people to be depressed or have drinking problems • Married people are more financially stable than cohabiters • Staton (2003)

  15. Facts Continued • Children living with their mothers and an unmarried partner display high levels of problem behavior at home and at school and also have low academic performance • Staton (2003) • The poverty rate for children is five times higher for children living with cohabitating parents than those living with intact families • Staton (2003) • Parents who cohabit break up at a higher rate than married parents and the children suffer • Popenoe (1999)

  16. Facts Continued • Many cohabitating couples decide that they are satisfied in their current situations and do not get married • Grabmeier (2004) • 20% of cohabitating women say that they have had secondary sex partners while in that relationship • Harms (2000) • The 1992 National Health and Social Life Survey says that cohabitating couples have an average of one additional sexual act in a month more than married couples • Harms (2000)

  17. Research • Expressed Attitudes of Adolescents Towards Marriage and Family Life • Martin, Specter, Martin, & Martin (2003) • Examined survey responses from 200 9th-12th graders • Used the Marriage and Family Life Survey • The survey examines different dimensions of relationships • Sex, cohabitation, rule of religion, marriage status of parents, etc. • From the responses, they found that the adolescents view cohabitation as a means of increasing the chances of successful marriage • 50.4% held positive attitudes towards cohabitation • 27% held negative attitudes towards cohabitation • 22.6% held no opinion • 48.7% would want to live with someone before they marry • If they were exposed to divorce in their family, they may be looking for something to enhance their future relationships

  18. Research Continued • Characteristics of College Students Who Cohabit • Knox, Zusman, Snell, & Cooper (1999) • Used a questionnaire at ECU to survey 568 students to identify characteristics of students who cohabit • Findings: • The older the student, the more likely they reported having cohabitated • 20+ year olds were more likely than 18-19 year olds to cohabit • Students with hedonistic values were more likely to cohabit • Hedonism is a belief of the sexual value of, “If it feels good do it” • Students who have dated someone of another race or would date someone of another race were more likely to cohabit

  19. Research Continued • Cohabitation in the United States: An Appraisal of Research Themes, Findings, and Implications • Smock (2000) • Cohabitation is a short-lived trend • 55% end up in marriage • 40% the relationship ends within 5 years of starting to cohabitate • Only about 1/6 of cohabitations last 3 years • Only about 1/10 last 5+ years • Cohabitation usually involves children in the relationship • ½ of previously married cohabiters have children in the household • 35% of never-married cohabiters have children in the household • 70% of the children living in a cohabiting household are only from one of the partners • 40% of nonmarital births are from cohabitating households

  20. Research Continued • Cohabitation in the United States: An Appraisal of Research Themes, Findings, and Implications • Smock (2000) • Characteristics of Cohabiters • Low socioeconomic status • 60% are high school drop outs • 37% are college graduates • Have more liberal values • Less religious • More supportive of egalitarian gender roles • It’s common in subgroups

More Related