Attitudes, Values, and Entrance into Cohabitational versus Marital Unions

This article argues that marriage and cohabitation are associated with important differences in work patterns, earnings, treatment of money, use of leisure time, social relations with the extended family, the division of household labor, and fertility. We hypothesize that these differences lead thos...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social forces 1995-12, Vol.74 (2), p.609-632
Main Authors: Clarkberg, Marin, Stolzenberg, Ross M., Waite, Linda J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitude-Value relationships
Attitudes
Christianity
Cohabitation
Common law marriage
Comparison
Extended family
Family relations
Family work relationship
Fertility
Gender roles
Housework
Interpersonal relations
Leisure
Leisure time
Longitudinal Studies
Marital Status
Marriage
Men
Money
Parents
Psychological attitudes
Recreation
Sex Role Attitudes
Sexual Division of Labor
Sexuality. Marriage. Family relations
Single status
Social aspects
Social Attitudes
Social relations
Social research
Social Values
Sociology
Sociology of the family. Age groups
Time Utilization
U.S.A
USA
Values
Work Attitudes
Work Values
Working women
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Summary:This article argues that marriage and cohabitation are associated with important differences in work patterns, earnings, treatment of money, use of leisure time, social relations with the extended family, the division of household labor, and fertility. We hypothesize that these differences lead those considering the formation of a household to consider their attitudes toward these aspects of life, which appear to be so different in marriage from those in cohabitation. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972, we test and find support for the hypothesis that the choice between cohabitation and marriage is affected by attitudes and values toward work, family, use of leisure time, money, and sex roles, as well as values and attitudes toward marriage itself.
ISSN:0037-7732
1534-7605
DOI:10.1093/sf/74.2.609