Cohabitation

• Cohabitation

  2 individuals who live together in an intimate relationship without being married
• Cohabitation accounts for 3.2 million couples in England and Wales
• The Adoption Act 2002


  Single people and same sex couples can legally adopt or foster children in the UK
• Feminists like the Adoption Act 2002 as it leads to a decline in the nuclear structure
• The Children and Families Act 2014


  Gives a right to maternity leave for women and when parents split up, they can both stay in their child's life
• Coast - there is evidence to suggest that cohabitation is normal between couples and it is becoming widely accepted as a valid living arrangement
• Cohabitation

  Supports cohabitation as it gives women the opportunity for a 'trial marriage' due to growing female independence where they can prioritise their personal choice to focus more on their careers and living with a partner rather than getting married
• Sharpe - support


  Women no longer prioritise love, marriage and children, and cohabitation is successful for both in the relationship
• Goode

  Suggests that people accept cohabitation as a part of normal life rather than a sin against God due to the decline in religion
• In the past, cohabitation would have been scandalous, however, in modern day society, cohabitating couples are widely accepted
• Gibson


  There is changing morality meaning that there is a wider tolerance of 'alternative' lifestyles
• NRR Morgan - people choose to cohabitate


  As they are scared of the consequences of divorce, highlighting the cost of divorce (being approximately £14,500) which people would rather not pay for