The negative and the positive effects of cohabitation in North America in recent years - Essay Example

? Information The negative and the positive effects of cohabitation in North America in recent years Introduction In the recent times, the social scene has gone through tremendous changes, if the dating scene is anything to go by. In the past, couples could only live together if they were married. Currently however, the situation has changed; couples now live together for mutual benefits, the recent increase in the number of couple’s cohabitating can attest this argument. Increasingly, more and more people live together for the emotional and sexual benefits they acquire from the relationship, other than being married. Various factors contribute to the sharp increase in this practice, as this paper argues. Coupled with the sexual and emotional support, more people try to avoid the pressure that comes with marriage by living together, with the increase in the cost of living standards, people try to share the cost of living through cohabitation, while others use it as a means of testing the loyalty of their partners. On the other hand, there are a number of effects associated with such an arrangement. Not only does this form of lifestyle increase chances of extramarital activities, it also contributes to the high number of divorce cases. Further, there is no commitment in the relationship, with couples showing less effort in trying to make the relationship work. Moreover, it increases chances of people getting married to the wrong partners, in addition to contributing to high levels of conflict between the cohabitating partners. In this regard, this paper seeks to explore the effects of cohabitation between two individuals. The Effects of Cohabitation Positive effects of cohabitation in North America Cohabitation too has it is own advantages, some of these advantages include: Individuals in a cohabitation arrangement are in a good position to the benefits of sexual relationships and emotional support at the same time without the pressure of being in a marriage arrangement. Life is quite cheaper simply because cohabiting couples have a culture of sharing the cost of living. It is also known that once individuals are in a cohabiting relationship, they have ample time of testing their partner’s loyalty to them and thus can decide whether to get to married to them in the end. In recent research conducted, studies have shown that cohabiting couples led a happier life free from unnecessary stress and this have an equal boost on their self-esteem as compared to married couples who often time are not happy in their marriage relationship. Having discussed the few positive side of cohabiting relations, cohabiting relationship too has its own demerits; in fact many tend to perceive cohabiting relationships as being morally and religiously wrong. Some of the negative aspects of cohabiting relationship are: Studies have shown that those living together before getting married have a higher separation rate and divorce rates; thus, marriages that result from couple living together before marriage have a 50 % higher disruption rate as compared to marriage that are not characterized with premarital cohabitation. In recent studies conducted by researchers from Columbia University clearly revealed a shocking result where divorce rates of women who cohabit have an 80% divorce rates as compared to those women who do not. According to research conducted also, studies that those couples who live together before marriage are least likely to marry each other, forty percent of couples who are in a cohabiting relationship are known to end their relationship before getting married. Studies also shows that those couples living together before marriage will have unhappier marriages, this is because this couples have lower marital quality and a very great marital dissolution at any given time; this is also characterized with many separation rates in their marriages. Those living together in a cohabiting arrangement also have a high tendency of not directly avoiding to deal with some of the joint decision that married couple have to make such as money and property, this tends to be “his” or “hers”. Also in this set of arrangement it is very unlikely for these couples to adapt a child. Cohabiting couples also in Cohabiting relationship have a high rate of difficulty in resolving conflicts; their only way to resolving conflict is through a kiss, hug and sex, instead of sitting and jointly talking about them. Those living together in cohabiting relations are often times denied their parental approval; here it is very difficult to keep the relationship a secret and thus lies have to be told in order to cover up the truth, but once discovered loss of parental support is often times inventible. Cohabiting relationship led to individuals to marrying their significant partners who in the end might simply be not right for them at all cost. Also, Couples in a cohabiting relationship, as studies have shown, often lacks a common purpose; in fact this type of arrangement starts out as a joke where individuals date, spend a weekend together have sex, as times goes buy they begin to bring their clothes to their partners house and in the end they simply realized they are now sharing living arrangement. Thus from our discussion above it is very evident that the effects of cohabitation in North America in recent times clearly have more negative attributes that the merits associated with it. Researchers conducted on the same, also tend to focus on the negative side due to the religion point of view but this does not necessarily mean that cohabiting relations don’t have their own merits. Works cited Bumpass, L.L., Sweet, J.A., & Cherlin, A. “The role of cohabitation in declining rates of marriage. Journal of Marriage and the Family”, 53, 913-927 (1991). Print. Read More