Low-Income Black Cohabiters' Perspectives on Marriage: A Gendered Life Course Analysis

• In Event: 220 - Section on the Sociology of the Family Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 14. Gendered Marriage and Relationship Formation

Abstract

Cohabitation is now a normative part of the dating and partnering process. A majority of couples cohabit before marrying, and an increasing number of couples forego marriage in favor of cohabitation. Despite research into partnering trends and analyses of rising cohabitation rates, we know little about what people who cohabit expect by transforming their union into a marriage, or their reasons for not transitioning to marriage, especially male cohabiters. We contribute to filling this gap in the research on the meaning of cohabitation and on gender and cohabitation by exploring marital attitudes and intentions among 30 adults in 15 already cohabiting low-income Black heterosexual couples raising adolescents from prior relationships. This analysis examines the meanings of both marriage and cohabitation for members of this population. Both men and women expressed concern about being financially ready to marry and about the possibility of more rigid gender roles upon marriage. Overall though, partners were more marriage-oriented than mothers. Mothers described being more wary of marriage in part due to past relationship experiences, whereas men described feeling ready to settle down and marry, suggesting a discordant gendered life course pattern with regard to commitment and marriage in this population.

Authors

• Megan Reid, National Development and Research Institutes

• Andrew Golub, National Development and Research Institutes