HDFS 302 9/24/15Chapter 6: Nonmarital relationships and living arrangements More singles - Today 44% of US adults are singles, compared to less than 28% in 1970- Change due to o A growing proportion of widowed elderlyo Higher divorce rateo You adults postponing marriageo Cohabitation more acceptable Why fewer people married - Demographic changes- More women than men in the US due to changes in immigration and improvement in women’s health- Economic changeso Middle aged, divorced women with careers tend to view marriage as a bad deal once they’ve gained financial and sexual independence o Fact that men’s earning potential has declined may make marriage less attractive to both sexeso Growing economic disadvantage and uncertainty make marriage less available to many who might want to marry- Technological changeso Contraception allowed sex without marriageo New technologies offer planned pregnancy to single, heterosexual-identified womenand same sex couples - Cultural changes o Emerging adulthood: new development stage involves spending time in higher education, exploring options regarding work, career, and familyo Sex before marriage is more acceptedo Singles and cohabitating couples are no longer “deviant”o New paths to adulthoodo Marriage viewed as less permanent Cohabitation - A new socially acceptable living arrangement, may be an alternative or prerequisite step for marriage- These relationships are relatively short term - Current researcho Fewer people are marrying without cohabitating first o Divergent patterns of cohabitation depending on demographic characteristics  Religious values Social class Level education Age o Couples view this as a trial run for marriage o Nonmarital cohabitation does not predict marital success, may be at slightly higher risk for divorce o Selection versus experience hypothesis  Is this better explained by characteristics typical of cohabiters, or by the process itself of cohabitatingo Also consider: deciding versus “sliding” How do cohabitation patterns vary across social groups?- Socioeconomic disadvantage is related to higher rates of relationship dissolution and lower marriage rateso Related to limited resources-> stress and relationship dissolution - Patterns vary for couples with children, and according to race/ethnicity o Nirth of a child to unmarried parents key factor in predicting future marriage quality- Age/generationo Highest among persons aged 18-40, but increasing among older