Advantages of cohabitation
Good morning everybody. Today we are going to present a seminar based on the topic whether cohabitation is beneficial before marriage. Cohabitation may be defined as a living arrangement of any unmarried heterosexual couple who share common residence and sexual intimacy. There exists a great variety of configurations in this form of relationship. Some appear as virtual marriages shy only of formal, public contractual vows, while others are short-term episodes for the sake of convenience. Cohabitation is everywhere. Living together may once have been scandalous, but today it's the way most people begin partnered life with the person they love. Researchers attribute the rise in cohabitation to several factors, including the sexual revolution and the weakening of the institution of marriage.5 People often cohabit in order to try out marriage in an attempt to avoid divorce later on. However, living together before marriage actually makes divorce more probable.6 We will first investigate the advantages followed by the disadvantages of cohabitation before marriage. The advantages that will be mentioned are: Combination of the autonomy of singleness with the emotional and sexual closeness similar to marriage, fear of marital commitment and failure. Opportunity to try out the partner before marriage, freedom to begin or end the relationship at will, financial advantages, More relaxed sexual controls and
กค In recent years there has benn an increase in the number of people getting divorced. This may be a result of getting married without enough understanding of each other. Some have been through the pain of a divorce and opt for cohabitation to avoid ever having to repeat the experience of a marital breakup.
กค The increase in the number of divorces (over half of all marriages) leads some to believe that living together is better; especially when they know couples who have done so for a long time. Having cohabitation before marriage allows the testing of compatibility for marriage, a better understanding of self, greater knowledge of what is involved in living with another person, increased and interpersonal skills.
Today, significant numbers of people are choosing not to marry for all or for large portions of their lives. In 1997, 23.5 percent of all people 18 and over had never married. There is a lower marriage rate of African Americans, especially women. Asian Americans remain single longer than other groups. A plausible explanation for this difference is that Asian American families are more likely to give priority to getting an education than to an earlier marriage. Many Americans no longer view marriage as an economic or social necessity.
The stigmas attached to singlehood have lessened in recent years and the perceived benefits associated with marriage have diminished. The availability of contraceptives and the liberalization of sexual norms have also influenced people's decisions. Expanding economic opportunities have provided more women with the means to be financially independent outside of marriage. Advantages of Singlehood are Personal freedom, financial independence, privacy, and greater opportunities to pursue careers are major advantages.