COHABITATION

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)

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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
Reasons Continued

• 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)

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Positive Aspects of Cohabitation

• Share expenses
• Popenoe (1999)
• Learn about each other
• Popenoe (1999)
• Avoid responsibility of partners debt
• The Problem of Cohabitation (2001)
• No legal entanglements
• The Problem of Cohabitation (2001)
• Easy to leave relationship
• The Problem of Cohabitation (2001)

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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)

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Myths About Cohabitation

• Everybodys Doing It
• 30-40 of college students cohabit
• Economically Its 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 Wont Hurt Anyone
• Friends/family are affected
• Its Nobodys Business
• There are birth, health, and disease issues
  associated with cohabitation that affect others
• Myths About Cohabitation (2001)

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Myths Continued

• Its Alright Because Were Really In Love
• Love is the greatest reason to avoid premarital
  sexual relationships
• But Were Going to be Married Anyway
• There is often one person in the relationship
  that does not think the relationship is permanent
  or lifelong
• Itll 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)

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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 childrens 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)

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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)

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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

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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
• Its common in subgroups