Why are More Americans Saying `I do’ Again and Again?

• In Event: 1557 - Understanding Complexity in Relationships and Marital Unions

Abstract

America's rate of serial marriage and cohabitation has increased dramatically in recent decades. The reasons for this trend are not entirely clear, as current explanations for it are not well supported by empirical research. This paper offers new ideas about what may be driving this trend by exploring the phenomenon of serial marriage and cohabitation from the perspectives of those who have first-hand experience with it. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 67 serially married and/or cohabiting individuals, 5 adult children who grew up with at least one parent with a history of serial marriage, and 5 current or past partners of serially married participants, this study highlights how people who have a history of three or more marital or cohabiting relationships describe, interpret, and create meaning out of their marital and relationship biographies. The study identifies five main themes, considers how the expression of each theme varies by gender, race, class, and other social characteristics, and discusses what they reveal about America’s changing landscape of love and marriage.

Author

• Chris Wienke, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale