cohabitation

What is the deal with cohabitation, really?

1 min read

The picture painted in the first ¾ of a May 25 Time article on cohabitation does not match the reality on the ground that is presented in the last ¼ of the article. I know Time is trying to write juicy news, but it seems, based on the facts presented towards the end (mainly, that after 5 years, cohabiting couples are no more, due to either marriage or breaking up), that Time is trying to make the exception look like the rule.

The rule is that couples who live together eventually break up (dont commit) or get married (commit). The exception is a cohabiting couple staying together for the long term and who dont see marriage as a vehicle to express commitment; there are simply very few couples like this.

Much ado about nothing? It looks like Times story, when you unpack it, is not really much of a story And all of this says nothing of child well-being Since cohabiting couples do not last very long, the children they produce eventually end up living in father-absent homes, which we know are, on average, not great for kids.

Date Published: 05/18/2009

Last Updated: 02/12/2014

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What is the deal with cohabitation, really?

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