Pathways to Romantic Unions: Progression Patterns among Young Men

Freya L. Sonenstein, Urban Institute
Gary J. Gates, Urban Institute
Joseph H. Pleck, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

This paper explores a new construct in life course development: relationship progression in the late adolescence and early adulthood of men. As young men mature, most move through a series of romantic relationships. We posit that specific patterns of relationship progression can be observed over time. Using longitudinal data from the National Survey of Adolescent Males (NSAM), we explore what types of relationship progression patterns occur among young men. The research utilizes cluster analysis to identify relationship patterns and examine progression transitions. Preliminary analysis of two rounds of data found that 66% of the sample fell into only four progression types. Patterns of relationship progression can be viewed as risk or protection processes, which influence adult developmental outcomes. They constitute an important, yet poorly understood, process in the life course.