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Increasing Cohabitation By Young People Disrupts 'Courtship Narrative,' Post Columnist Writes

According to Gerson, cohabitation is not "working out ... very well." He states that "[r]elationships defined by lower levels of commitment are, not unexpectedly, more likely to break up," noting that 75% of children born to cohabitating parents "will see their parents split up by the time they turn 16."

Although it "may not be realistic to maintain the connection between marriage and sex, it remains essential to maintain the connection between marriage and childbearing," according to Gerson. He adds that the "age of first marriage is important to marital survival and happiness." He continues, "There is little use in preaching against a hurricane of social change," but "delaying marriage creates moral, emotional and practical complications." The "challenge, as always, is to humanize change," Gerson says, concluding, "The answer, even in the relational wasteland, is responsibility, commitment and sacrifice for the sake of children" (Gerson, Washington Post, 9/16).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

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