Cohabitation

Cohabitation is an arrangement in which two people live together and have a long-term intimate or sexual relationship. The term cohabitation is usually used when referring to couples that reside together but are not married; it can also be applied to a group of people living together without the intimate or sexual components (Merriam-webster online dictionary, 2011).  ** Reason for Cohabitation  ** One of the primary reasons for cohabitation is to increase relationship quality. Cohabitation has been confirmed to have 3 dimensions: precursor to marriage, trial marriage, and coresidential dating. Studies have shown a positive effect on relationship quality for cohabitation as a form of precursor to marriage. However, no negative relationship qualities have been shown for cohabitation as a trial marriage or a coresidential dating situation (Murrow, & Shi, 2010). While people often believe cohabitation can play a significant role on relationship quality the results from Murrow and Shi’s (2010) study indicate that there is good new, there doesn’t seem to be a risk factor for lower relationship quality due to cohabitation. Another reason often given for cohabitation is that it is a normal step in a relationship, that it makes sense. Couples often discuss the benefits to their relationship from more societal, familial, or peer support for their choice to cohabit (Murrow, & Shi, 2010). Another factor that is often related to this stage of a relationship, brought up by college age students, is the benefit of financial consolidation (McAninch, 2010). Finally one of the most brought up reason for cohabitation is that it is a test run for marriage. Cohabiters often believe that they have minimized the risk that the marriage will breakdown by entering into their premarital cohabitation (Manning, Cohen, & Smock, 2011). College age students in long-term relationships often reflect this notion; they indicate that cohabitation is a good way to help them learn the habits of their partner before they enter into a marriage. In the same study students also brought up how cohabitation could potentially save a couple from divorce by keeping incompatible people from getting married (McAninch, 2010). ** Reasons Against Cohabitation  ** A primary reason given in almost all studies on cohabitation, against cohabitation is religious upbringing, or religious view on premarital sex. Many partners who are against premarital cohabitation site strong personal convictions about the religious immorality of cohabitation, while others site their objections in strong religious upbringings (McAninch, 2010). Children from religious backgrounds that tend to emphasize the sanctity of marriage are much less likely to enter in cohabiting type situations (Eggebeen, & Dew, 2009). Another factor commonly brought up is judgment or objection by friends, family, and the cohabiting partner. Family plays a incredibly powerful role in forming adult daters views on cohabitation. Some emerging adults adopted their families’ negative views on cohabitation, whether due to religion or not (Manning, Cohen, & Smock, 2011). Others feared familial or social network (including friends, work or school mates, clerical peers etc.) judgment based on the implication of premarital sex that comes with cohabitation. Fear of parental and social network judgment is especially pervasive for college age potential cohabitants. This group also feared the tarnishing of the relationship and hindrance of personal freedom that can come with the decision to cohabit (McAninch, 2010). Premarital cohabitation almost always comes with the reasonable assumption of the increased likelihood of premarital sex. Union formation is a particularly salient topic of research when it comes to sex and cohabitation. The stability of the union  is highly dependent upon the full range of sexual experience in early adulthood should be taken into consideration (Cohen, & Manning, 2010). According to a study done by Jay Teachman (2003) women that engage in cohabitation prior to marriage or premarital sex with both their husbands and other men have a higher risk rate for divorce. On the flip side to this men who have entered into sexually active premarital cohabitation relationships may view the relationship differently from women. In a study done by Galena Kline-Rhoades (2006) the results showed that women are more likely to view cohabitation as a step towards marriage than men. In these couples men that cohabited before engagement were less dedicated to their wives then their wives were to them. Overall it seems that cohabitation can be either detrimental to or beneficial to a relationship depending on the factors relative to that individual relationship. Factors that seem to have heavy influence include the amount of support available to the cohabiting couple, religious affiliation, number of cohabiting partnerships prior to marriage and a variety of other factors. The majority of studies that focus on cohabitation center around it implication on long-term relationship and specifically marital potential, martial health, and marital security. In her study on cohabitation Dr. Gelena Kline Rhoades offers a piece of crucial advise to all potential cohabitants, she says, “couples considering cohabitation before engagement could seriously beneﬁt from discussions about commitment and expectations about marriage” (Kline Rhoades et al, 2006). ** References:  ** Images: // []  // // [|http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/cohabit_pic.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.examiner.com/sex-relationships-in-tampa-bay/cohabitation-nation&usg=__obCpTaDHCpS1hFKXwiagxpAdGh0=&h=240&w=320&sz=14&hl=en&start=29&zoom=1&tbnid=Sgkmy8a-xT9uQM:&tbnh=157&tbnw=208&ei=9zujTaecOoHJgQeZ55HaBQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dcohabitation%2Band%2Bsex%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1271%26bih%3D680%26tbm%3Disch0%2C272&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=372&vpy=391&dur=482&hovh=191&hovw=255&tx=150&ty=156&oei=5zujTaj4MsaUtwfQ5N2bAw&page=2&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:29&biw=1271&bih=680]  // Sources: Cohen, J, & Manning, W. (2010). The relationship context of premarital serial cohabitation. // Social Science Research //, // 39 //(5), Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/ehost/detail?vid=21&hid=112&sid=7830f7d7-584e-46f5-b6d8-e0c9e7e7b33a%40sessionmgr12&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=52934968 doi: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2010.04.01 Eggebeen, D, & Dew, J. (2009). The role of religion in adolescence for family formation in    young adulthood. // Journal of Marriage and Family //, // 71 //(1), Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/ehost/detail?sid=7830f7d7-584e-46f5-b6d8-e0c9e7e7b33a%40sessionmgr12&vid=17&hid=14&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=36244389 doi: 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2008.00583.x   Kline Rhoades, G, Stanley, S, & Markman, H. (2006). Pre-engagement cohabitation and gender asymmetry in marital commitment. // Journal of Family Psychology //, // 20 //(4), Retrieved from http://ft.csa.com.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/ids70/resolver.php?sessid=7b8uf48undqksj62i87p35aag3&server=csaweb113v.csa.com&check=5acf5ae003814b1486947aa4874cc7fd&db=psycarticles-set-c&key=FAM%2F20%2Ffam_20_4_553&mode=pdf doi: 10.1037/0893-3200.20.4.553 Manning, W, Cohen, J, & Smock, P. (2011). The role of romantic partners, family, and peer networks on dating couples views about cohabitation. // Journal of Adolescent Research //, // 26 //(1), Retrieved from http://jar.sagepub.com.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/content/26/1/115.full.pdf+html doi: 10.1177/0743558410376833 McAninch, K. G. (2010, April). Discursive struggles and cohabitation: What cohabitation means to young, non-cohabiting relational partners. Paper presented at the meeting of Central States Communication Association, Cincinnati, OH. Merriam-webster online dictionary. (2011). [Cohabitation. Retrieved from [] Murrow, C, & Shi, L. (2010). The influence of cohabitation on relationship quality: an    examination in dimensions.// The American Journal of Family Therapy, 38: 397-412, Retrieved from //[] doi: 10.1080/0192687.2010.513916 Teachman, J. (2003). Premarital sex, premarital cohabitation, and the risk of subsequent marital dissolution among women. // Journal of Marriage and Family //, // 49 //(3), Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/ehost/detail?vid=19&hid=112&sid=7830f7d7-584e-46f5-b6d8-e0c9e7e7b33a%40sessionmgr12&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=23501230 doi: 10.1037/0893-3200.20.4.553
 * Cohabitation **
 * Cohabitation and Sex **