Effects Of Cohabitation

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The Collins English Dictionary defines cohabitation as the state or condition of living together as husband and wife without being married. In the Western world, cohabitation has/is becoming culturally acceptable as it creeps in as a societal norm. (Simmons and O’Connell, 2003) Cohabitation has emerged as a lifestyle intermediate between marriage and singlehood, from 1990 to 2000 there was a 72-percent increase in the number of unmarried-couple households. Cohabitation, to me, is a matter of personal choice and can prove either beneficial or detrimental to a relationship depending on the individuals. Just as marriage succeeds or fails based on the individuals involved and their level of commitment to their bond, so too does cohabitation. In a report titled, “Cohabiting has little effect on marriage success” by Sharon Jayson of USA Today, statistics based on a national survey of family growth from the National Centre for Health Statistics details how there is no negative effect of cohabitation on marriages. The report takes into account much more recent data than other studies on cohabitation and several sociologists have come to the conclusion this conclusion. As cultures and society evolve, more options are surfacing. Whether or not to cohabit is now a matter of personal preference and its success, as with everything else, depends heavily on the individuals involved. References Cohabitation. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved October 19, 2011, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cohabitation Simmons, T., O’Connell, M. (2003). U.S. Census Bureau: Census 2000 Special Reports. Married-Couple and Unmarried-Partner Households. USA Today (2010, April 14). Report: Cohabiting has little effect on marriage success. Retrieved October 19, 2011 from
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