Read the Book(Uploaded) and write about the questions(each 1150~200 words)

Commitment is the essential difference between cohabitation and marriage. In mar- riage, the assumption is permanence; in cohabitation, couples agree to remain together for “as long as it works out.” For marriage, individuals make public vows that legally bind them as a couple; for cohabitation, they simply move in together. Marriage re- quires a judge to authorize its termination; if a cohabiting relationship sours, the cou- ple separates, telling friends and family that “it didn’t work out.” As you know, many cohabiting couples marry, but do you know how this is related to what cohabitation means to them? Let’s explore this in our Down-to-Earth Sociology box on the next page.

Are the marriages of couples who cohabited stronger than the marriages of couples who did not live together before they married? It would seem they would be, that co- habiting couples have had the chance to work out real-life problems prior to marriage. To find out, sociologists have compared their divorce rates. It turns out that couples who cohabit before marriage are more likely to divorce (Lichter and Qian 2008). Why? They had that living-together experience, and only then did they decide to marry. The rea- son, suggest some sociologists, is because cohabiting relationships are so easy to end (Dush et al. 2003). Because of this, people are less picky about choosing someone to live with (“It’s probably a temporary thing”) than choosing someone to marry (“This is re- ally serious”). After couples cohabit, however, many experience a push toward marriage. Some of this “push” comes from simply having common possessions, pets, and children. Some comes from family and friends—from subtle hints to direct statements. As a re- sult, many end up marrying a partner that they would not otherwise have chosen.

Grandparents as Parents It is becoming more common for grandparents to rear their grandchildren. About 6 percent of U.S. children are being reared by their grandparents, twice the percent- age of a generation ago (Lagnado 2009). The main reason for these skipped-genera- tion families is that the parents are incapable of caring for their children. Some of the parents have died, but the most common reasons are that the parents are ill, home- less, addicted to drugs, or in prison. In other instances, the grandparents stepped in when the parents neglected or abused their children.

Caring for grandchildren can bring great satisfaction. The grandparents know that their grandchildren are in loving hands, they build strong emotional bonds with

322 C h a p t e r 1 0 M A R R I A G E A N D F A M I L Y

FIGURE 10.10 Americans Ages 20–24 Who Have Never Married

*Source: By the author. Based on Statistical Abstract of the United States 1993:Table 60; 2002:Table 48; 2011:Table 57.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Pe rc

en ta

g e

100%

70%

80%

90%

1970

35%

55%

1980

50%

68%

1990

63%

79%

2000

73%

84%

2010

77.4%

87% WomenMen

N u

m b

er o

f C

o u

p le

s (in

m ill

io n

s)

0.5

0 1970 1980 1990 20202010

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

8.0

7.5

7.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

2000

6.0

6.5

Year

Note: Broken line indicates author’s estimate

Source: By the author. Based on U.S. Bureau of the Census 2007b and Statistical Abstract of the United States 1995:Table 60; 2011:Table 63.

FIGURE 10.11 Cohabitation in the United States