Chapter 8 Marriage & Cohabitation

Dana and Chege feel that they are husband and wife. Most of their friends and coworkers assume that they are legally married. However, on credit card applications and when filling out tax returns, they do not indicate that they are married. What does this show about marriage?

• Marriage is both a symbolic status and a legal status.

• It is illegal for a couple to live together without first being married.

• Before being legally married, a couple must convince their friends and coworkers that they are socially married.

• Marriage is a symbolic status only, and it does not have tangible or legal benefits.

About two-thirds of people who marry__________ _.

• cohabit first

• are only married symbolically.

• are in a same-sex marriage

• have not attended college

Which of the following is true about current trends in marriage?

• Marriage rates are on the rise for those without college degrees.

• It is becoming more common for people with dissimilar education levels to marry.

• Married couples are more likely to be poor than single adults are.

• Marriage rates are higher for those with college degrees.

Which of the following is a source of social change in family life?

• The growth of individualism has strengthened the ties of marriage.

• The law has begun to recognize people more as individuals than as members of a family entity.

• Married couples are much more likely to be poor than single adults, especially single parents, are.

• Same-sex couples rarely face discrimination because the laws providing for equal protection are consistently upheld.

Marriage rates have

• fallen slightly since the 1960s

• dramatically decreased since the 1960s.

• gradually risen since the 1800s.

• gradually decreased since the 1960s.

The change in marriage rates over time is due to

• increased rates of cohabitation.

• people marrying later.

• moral decline.

• economic recession

Men and women with higher incomes are more likely to marry than people with lower incomes because people with higher incomes

• have an economic need to marry.

• have more incentive to stay single because finding a partner is difficult.

• have more choices in the “marriage market,” and this tips in favor of getting married.

• are more likely to feel confident while in a long-term relationship and, therefore, not need marriage.

The number of people who are not getting married at all is increasing. However,

• those who do not marry don’t practice cohabitation.

• the children of these people are at a disadvantage.

• Whites have experienced the largest decline in marriage rates.

• a great majority of people do get married.

Which of the following can be concluded from the data given in your textbook?

• Marriage rates are likely to continue declining.

• Women are getting married in greater numbers and at younger ages than in the past.

• Marriage rates have risen by more than half since 1970.

• Americans no longer take marriage as seriously as they did in the past.

Which conclusion can be drawn from current marriage trends?

• The vast majority of people never marry.

• People spend more years of their lives married now than in the past.

• Americans are more likely to value careers over family.

• People are married less continuously throughout their lives than in the past.