Alisha Royce

FHS 2400
Assignment 7 Ch. 9

COHABITATION
The text states that over the past 40 years, cohabitation has greatly increased across all
socioeconomic, age and racial groups. Why do you think this is so? After reading pages 318322, compare and contrast traditional marriage and cohabitation.
Why do I think cohabitation has greatly increased across all socioeconomic, age and
racial groups in the past 40 years? There are many reasons why, but there are three that I am
going to focus on. Many people these days love each other and want to be together without the
legal obligations of marriage. There is also the idea that cohabitation is more convenient for
many reasons. There is only one rent to pay being split by both people, which will help save
money for other expenses. It is also more convenient because the travel time to see each other in
eliminated. People choose cohabitation because of kids as well. Many couples will get pregnant
and decide to keep their child. Both parents want to live with their kid, so they decide to move in
together. Though marriage may occur later down the road, that marriage is less likely to sustain
its self and stay secure.
Traditional marriage and cohabitation have some similarities. With both, sexuality is
more liberal than it was a generation ago. Same sex partners are more accepted in todays
culture. Many people dont think of marriage as a necessarily permanent commitment. Most
people cohabite while they wait for the right time to marry.
In addition to those, cohabitation has become normalized as a stage or phase in
someones life. Cultural and economic factors and standards have changed to accept
cohabitation. Cohabitation is suggested to be a trial marriage. People decide to live with their
partner to see if they would be a good married couple. Cohabitation appears no longer to be as

Alisha Royce
FHS 2400
Assignment 7 Ch. 9

much of a moral issue as it once was; instead, it has become a relatively accepted family
lifestyle. (Strong & Cohen, 2014, p.318)
There are also many differences to traditional marriage and cohabitation. Those who
choose to have a traditional marriage tend to be more educated and have attended more college.
They tend to have grown up with happy, stable family relationships. They tend to have been
raised in a culture that looks down on, or doesnt approve of cohabitation.
On the other hand, those who choose to cohabitate tend to be less educated, and have
attended less college than those of traditional marriage. They tend to have grown up in a house
with divorced parents and have not been around stable family relationships. They also tend to
have grown up in cultures where cohabitation is accepted and normal.
*Strong, B, & Cohen, T.F. (2014). The Marriage and Family Experience: Intimate relationships
in a changing society (12th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.