Reason for changing trends (cohabitation)

• Decline in stigma about sex outside of marriage, for example in 1989 only 44% of people agreed it was not wrong, compared to 65% in 2012
• Less stigma around same-sex relationships leading to greater levels of cohabitation- Stonewall (2012) estimates that 5-7% of population are in same-sex relationships in todays society
• Younger people are more likely to accept cohabitation, seeing it as a 'trial marriage' perhaps, according to Bejin (1985)
• Women due to careers feel freer to accept cohabitation and Shelton and John (1993) found that women who co-habit do less housework than married counterparts serving as another advantage