By Scott M. Stanley, Research Professor and Co-director of the Center for Marital and Family Studies, and Galena K. Rhoades is a senior researcher at the Center for Marital and Family Studies, University of Denver.
There are many fundamental shifts in how people do relationships in industrialized nations, and the increase in the prevalence of cohabitation instead of marriage or prior to marriage would be near the top of the list. The mystery is this: The belief that cohabiting prior to marriage lowers one's odds of divorce has no evidence going for it, yet it is a strongly held belief.
by Daniel T. Lichter, Ph.D., and Julie H. Carmalt, Ph.D., Department of Policy Analysis and Management, Cornell University
Should we therefore be concerned about the accelerated uncoupling of marriage and childbearing? The statistical correlations seem clear. But interpretations also have been made ambiguous by the rise in cohabitation. A growing share - perhaps even a majority share - of children born outside of marriage live with both biological parents.
The majority of couples who eventually marry now cohabit before marriage. In addition, more older couples are entering into these relationships. There is also a form of "cohabitation" in which couples continue to maintain two households-"Living Together Apart." In this Issue of NCFR Report, your colleagues share their research-and one personal story-about aspects of cohabitation.
