Cohabitation nation : gender, class, and the remaking of relationships / Sharon Sassler, Amanda Miller.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sassler, Sharon, author.

Miller, Amanda, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Unmarried couples--United States--Interviews.

Unmarried couples.

Marriage--United States.

Marriage.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiii, 277 pages) : illustrations, tables

Place of Publication:

Berkeley, CA : University of California Press, [2017]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

"We have fun and we enjoy each other's company, so why shouldn't we just move in together?"-Lauren, from Cohabitation Nation Living together is a typical romantic rite of passage in the United States today. In fact, census data shows a 37 percent increase in couples who choose to commit to and live with one another, forgoing marriage. And yet we know very little about this new "normal" in romantic life. When do people decide to move in together, why do they do so, and what happens to them over time? Drawing on in-depth interviews, Sharon Sassler and Amanda Jayne Miller provide an inside view of how cohabiting relationships play out before and after couples move in together, using couples' stories to explore the he said/she said of romantic dynamics. Delving into hot-button issues, such as housework, birth control, finances, and expectations for the future, Sassler and Miller deliver surprising insights about the impact of class and education on how relationships unfold. Showcasing the words, thoughts, and conflicts of the couples themselves, Cohabitation Nation offers a riveting and sometimes counterintuitive look at the way we live now.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

List of Tables and Figures

Acknowledgments

1. Cohabitation: Exploring Contemporary Courtship Trajectories

2. In the Beginning: Becoming a Couple

3. Shacking Up, Living in Sin, Saving on Rent? The Process of Moving In Together

4. "I Like Hugs, I Like Kisses, but What I Really Love Is Help with the Dishes" The Dance of Domesticity

5. Family Planning or Failing to Plan? Communication, Contraception, and Conception

6. For Better or for Worse? Perceptions of Cohabitation, Marriage, and Parenthood

7. Waiting to Be Asked or Taking the Bull by the Horns? Gender and Social Class Differences in Marriage Talk, Proposals, and Wedding Planning

8. Cohabitation Nation? The Role of Gender and Social Class in Relationship Progression

Appendix A. Interview Guide

Appendix B. Methods and Sample Information

Appendix C. Specific Characteristics of Cohabiting Couples

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 16. Mai 2019)

ISBN:

9780520962101

0520962109

OCLC:

978295443