To Live Together...As Man and Wife? The Process of Entrance into Cohabiting Unions

Sharon Sassler, Ohio State University
Alexis Yamokoski, Ohio State University
Tameka Jobe, Ohio State University

Well over half of today's young adults either have or will live with a partner prior to marriage. While many studies indicate that the majority of cohabitors report plans to marry their partner, little research has examined whether these plans are determined prior to entering into a cohabiting union, or how coresidence alters attitudes towards the relationship and its future. This paper advances theories of union formation by deciphering the processes underlying the entrance into informal unions, and examining how marriage intentions are shaped by the experience of sharing a home and a bed. Data are from 25 open-ended interviews with cohabitors theoretically sampled to reflect racial/ethnic, economic, and familial diversity. Preliminary analysis suggests that marriage is not a manifest expectation in the initial entrance into cohabiting unions. How couples negotiate the intricacies of living together, individual life plans, and sometimes opposing time frames, often shape future intentions.