Cohabitation-Historic Trends

Cohabitation-Historic Trends

In many societies today, many people are increasingly cohabitating. This increase can be attributed to cohabitation trends. Berk (2019) states cohabitation is “the lifestyle of unmarried couples who have a sexually intimate relationship and who share a residence.” Historically, cohabitation was common among people with a lower socioeconomic status from the 1960s, and these people had limited access to education opportunities, healthcare resources, and financial resources. However, from then on, cohabitation became more common among people of different social and economic statuses.

In recent years, young adults are cohabitating more frequently than young adults from previous generations. Further, cohabitation rates have also increased among divorcees, some of whom have children (Berk, 2019). In any case, cohabitation may or may not lead to marriages. Cohabitation rates and trends have been increasing among all adults from different generations for various reasons, and this comes with some advantages and disadvantages.

There are some advantages associated with long-term cohabitation without marriage. The first advantage stems from the intimacy and companionship privileges provided by cohabitating without the numerous obligations of marriage. The second advantage is an economic advantage (Palós & Lesthaeghe, 2016), which is linked to cost-efficiency. This advantage is shown in the savings from extravagant marriage ceremonies avoided through cohabitation. The third advantage is the ease of walking out on a cohabitation relationship, which is not associated with many obligations as is the case with legal divorces. Accordingly, the advantages of cohabitation without marriage range from companionship, sharing resources, and intimacy, both emotional and sexual.

There are also disadvantages associated with long-term cohabitation without marriage. The first disadvantage is the ease of a partner to walk out of the cohabitation due to the lack of obligations, as is the case with marriages (Palós & Lesthaeghe, 2016). The second disadvantage is the lack of security that marriage presents in long-term commitment. The third disadvantage involves long-term cohabitation with the goal of marriage, which may hinder the marriage itself for various reasons, including economic setbacks. Therefore, long-term cohabitation without marriage poses advantages and disadvantages for all parties involved.

References

Berk, L. E. (2019). Development through the Lifespan (7th ed.). Pearson.

Palós Albert Esteve., & Lesthaeghe, R. J. (Eds.). (2016). Cohabitation and Marriage in the Americas: Geo-historical Legacies and New Trends. Springer.

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In the United States, there is a trend towards increased cohabitation, which may or may not result in marriage.

Describe the historical trends. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages associated with long-term cohabitation without marriage?