cohabitation

• Cohabitation 

  ONS statistics show that cohabitating couples with children are considered to be the fastest growing family type. The 2021 UK Census found that the number of cohabitating couple families saw an increase of 22.9% in the past decade to 3.6 million. 

  For some couples, cohabitation is a prelude to marriage; for others, it is a permanent alternative arrangement. Chester -for most people, cohabitation is part of the process of getting married. Coast (2006), 75% of cohabitating couples say that they expect to marry each other.
• Cohabitation


  Living together in a sexual relationship without being married
• Reasons for cohabitation


  • Changing social norms and values
  • Secularisation
  • Changes in the position of women
  • Advances in medical technology
  • Cost of weddings
  • Divorce
  • Individualisation and rising expectations of marriage
  • Same-sex relationships
• Changing social norms and values

  • Decline in stigma attached to sex outside marriage
  • Premarital sex is more socially acceptable
• Decline in stigma attached to sex outside marriage


  Less people rushing into marriage or getting married at all
• Decline in stigma attached to sex outside marriage


  Increasing proportion of children born out of marriage
• Secularisation


  UK moving away from traditional organised religious belief to a more individual and spiritual view of life
• Secularisation


  People do not feel bound to follow religious rules governing family life and living arrangements
• Changes in the position of women

  • Increased educational opportunities for females
  • Laws aimed at reducing inequality between men and women
  • Encouragement of women, especially those with children, into the workforce
• Changes in the position of women

  Women no longer prioritise marriage and children, especially female graduates
• Changes in the position of women

  Marriage is no longer economically necessary for women due to increased career opportunities
• Changes in the position of women

  Women are freer and more empowered to opt for cohabitation
• Advances in medical technology

  • Contraception separates sex from reproduction
  • Better contraception means couples can live together without fear of unwanted pregnancy
  • Access to abortion gives women greater control over their fertility
• Advances in medical technology

  Women have less need for the financial security of marriage and are freer to opt for cohabitation
• Cost of weddings


  Typical wedding now costs up to £32,000
• Cost of weddings


  Some cohabitate and wait until more financially secure before formalising relationship
• Divorce


  • Increase in divorce rate
  • View of marriage as a 'union for life' has less power
  • Couples where one or both partners are divorced are most likely to cohabit
• Divorce


  People choose to cohabitate because are scared of divorce
• Individualisation


  Individuals in society seeking own opportunities and self interests
• Confluent love


  Increasing expectations of marriage
• Individualisation and rising expectations of marriage


  Cohabitation seen as 'trial marriage', a test of compatibility for marriage
• Same-sex relationships


  • Legislation legalising same-sex acts
  • Changing social norms and values leading to increased acceptance of same-sex relationships
• Same-sex relationships


  Increase in same-sex couples cohabitating
• Changing Social Norms & Values & Secularisation

   

  • Changing norms and values and a decline in stigma attached to sex outside marriage.
  • no longer feel as much societal and religious pressure to marry to legitimize a pregnancy-

  This decline in stigma is underpinned by secularisation.
• Changes in the Position of Women 

  • Icreased educational opportunities.Number of laws aimed at reducing inequality, EU policies aimed at encouraging women, into the workforce.
  • Wilkinson, -has been a 'genderquake' ,women no longer prioritise marriage and children. Marriage no longer economically necessary for women as increased career opportunitien mean are economically independent.

  Bejin -cohabitation  for some  young people represents a attempt to make a more equal relationship as  Shelton and John (1993) who found that women who cohabit do less housework than their married counterparts.
•  Advances in Medical Technology 

  • 1967 legislation NHS Family Planning Act, allowed oral contraceptive pill

  Access to abortion. The Abortion Act 1967 legalised abortion in all parts of the United Kingdom except NI, as long as specific criteria are met..
• Cost of Weddings 


  Many cannot afford as is pressure to have expensive 'dream weddings' and so some cohabitate and wait until are more financially secure .others would rather put the finance into a home or children's education .
• Divorce 


  Morgan,Allan and Crowe- people choose to cohabitate as are scared of divorce. Many people to see cohabitation, without its binding legal ties, as a good alternative to marriage.
• Individualisation & Rising Expectations of Marriage

  individualism and choice-individuals in society seeking own opportunities and self interests- can choose to cohabitate to suit needs.  Also, growth of individualism and 'confluent love' the expectations of marriage are increasing so for some , cohabitation is seen as 'trial marriage', almost like a test of compatibility for marriage.