Dr. Chris Bowen of Beulah Heights University presented on the dramatic increase in the unmarried population in the United States. Nearly half of adults over 18 are unmarried due to factors like delayed marriage, increased educational and economic opportunities for women, higher divorce rates, more liberal attitudes, and uneven ratios of unmarried men to women. Cohabitation is also on the rise due to a more liberal social climate, changed views of marriage and relationships, and women's financial independence. Cohabitation is most common among African Americans, Hispanics, those with less education, from divorced families, who are less religious, and favor egalitarian gender roles. Reasons for cohabitation include serving as a substitute for marriage,

1. Dr. Chris Bowen
Beulah Heights University

2. • Dramatic increase in unmarried
population
• Almost ½ of the population over age
18 are unmarried – never married,
divorced, widowed, or separated.
• Percentage of women and men who
are unmarried varies across racial and
ethnic lines
• African Americans are the most and
Asian American the least likely to be
unmarried

3. Factors Accounting Increase in
Singleness:
•Delayed marriage
•Increased educational and
economic opportunity for
women
•Increased rates of divorce
•More liberal sexual attitudes
•Uneven ratios of unmarried
women to men

4. Factors Which Account for Increase
in Cohabitation:
•Has become increasingly accepted
because of:
• More liberal sexual climate
• Changed meaning of marriage,
divorce and cohabitation
• Delayed marriage
• Reduced economic
dependence of women on
marriage

5. Cohabitation is more common among:
• African Americans and Hispanic
Americans
•Those with less education
•Those whose parents divorced
•Those who are less religious
•Those who are more likely to favor
egalitarian gender roles
•Those who have less traditional
attitudes about family
•Men who work less than full time or
year round

6. Reasons for Cohabitation:
• Substitute or alternative to
marriage
•Precursor to marriage
•Trial marriage
•Convenient alternative to dating or
to singlehood
•Some cohabiting relationships are
indistinguishable from marriage

7. Reasons for Cohabitation:
• Substitute or alternative to
marriage
•Precursor to marriage
•Trial marriage
•Convenient alternative to dating or
to singlehood
•Some cohabiting relationships are
indistinguishable from marriage