He Says, She Says: Gender and Cohabitation.
J Fam Issues
; 32(7): 876-905, 2011 Feb 03.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-21643456
ABSTRACT
Cohabitation has become the modal path to marriage in the United States. However, little is known about what cohabitation means to young adults today. Drawing on data from 18 focus groups (N=138) and 54 in-depth interviews with young adults, this exploratory study investigates motivations to cohabit, and examines potential gender differences in those motivations and the meanings attached to them. We find that primary motives to cohabit include spending time together, sharing expenses, and evaluating compatibility. Strong gender differences emerge in how respondents discuss these themes and how they characterize the drawbacks of cohabitation, with men more concerned about loss of freedom and women with delays in marriage. Overall, our findings suggest that gendered cultural norms governing intimate relationships extend to cohabiting unions, and point to gender differences in the perceived role of cohabitation in union formation processes.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Qualitative_research
Aspects:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
Language:
En
Journal:
J Fam Issues
Year:
2011
Document type:
Article
Publication country:
EEUU
/
ESTADOS UNIDOS
/
ESTADOS UNIDOS DA AMERICA
/
EUA
/
UNITED STATES
/
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
/
US
/
USA