Soicological effects of cohabitation

Running head : Cohabitation

Cohabitation

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Introduction

The most important changes of the last three decades relate to alterations or even mutations , in the family life cycle . More particularly the dramatic changes occurred in the stages of family formation and family dissolution : the beginning and the end

Until the 1950s there was a sharp and marked , that is , ritualized transition , especially for women , from the so-called family of orientation into the so-called family of procreation . This change was

br heavily ritualized by the wedding , giving new rights and new obligations , in terms of role (including sexuality ) and new positions as expressed by name change , in terms of status . This sharp transition gradually is being replaced by the insertion of a new phase in between the family of orientation and "family " of "procreation " The latter terms both have to be put into quotation marks . Two quite different relatively new features were emerging : independent living of youth and cohabitation

The independence and the autonomy of youth culture of the 1960s , 1968 having become a symbol , did not only mark the importance of youth culture (as expressed in clothing , music , sexual behavior , etc ) but also in social and political influence , ranging from the political dreams of the so-called movements of 1968 to the ecological movement heavily supported and carried by the younger generation . In terms of "family " life the autonomy has to be taken almost literally as shown in the growing number of persons living away from home or , put more accurately , living independently , establishing a one-person household This trend was even more pronounced for females than for males , which does not imply that females outnumbered males but that the increase was far more marked for females than for males

The most important feature however lies in the ambiguity of the situation (i .e , in many instances this autonomy is partial or fragmented , reflecting the essential characteristics of the postmodern society . A sharp discrepancy and even inconsistency between social and economic dependence can be observed . Many youngsters remain economically dependent on their parents , but socially gaining independence . The statistical apparatus has even become inadequate in revealing an accurate situation . In quite a few European countries , as census data demonstrates , youngsters are reported to be living at home whereas , in reality , they have their own living arrangements , either as a standard arrangement or on a part-time basis . This development was heavily facilitated by the growing participation in higher education in Western Europe . For families it implied that this period is not well delineated and vague . For-many families it is not very easy to give a clear-cut answer to the question "How many of your (adolescents /adult ) children are still living at home " The family boundaries have become flexible or , put more accurately , not very clearly defined . This does not imply that youngsters do leave home at an earlier age an opposite trend is documented . Youngsters tend to stay longer at home although the notion...