Research Log

Project: Cohabitation Before Marriage

Citation: Brandon, Aprill. “Shacking Up Leads to Higher Divorce Rate.” Victoria Advocate. Opposing Viewpoints, March 2, 2009. http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/NewsDetailsPage/NewsDetailsWindow?displa... . February 17, 2012.

What Strikes me Most:

What struck me most was how they interviewed a person who has been married twice, once to a person who she lived with before they got married, and then to a person who she waited until marriage to move in with him. She says that her experience was better when she waited. Also the the fact that when you are living together before marriage, there is always the chance to bolt and leave, and when you get married, that idea still lurks inside your mind. I was skeptical about this article because I did not see any support other than the author saying it was based on a study by Rutgers University. The article had no numbers or facts to state, it just assumed it was valid by saying it was done by a respected institution.

Source Notes
“ In a 2008 study, Rutgers researchers found that cohabiting couples tend to have a weaker sense of couple identity, less willingness to sacrifice for each other and a lower desire to see the relationship go long-term.” - This is what the article bases its information off of.

“A lot of people think that living together will predict if they are compatible once they are married, but that's not necessarily true. The relationship changes when you get married. You are more committed; whereas,before in your mind there is the option of walking out," - This really stood out to me because it gave a valid reason as to why divorce rates would be higher for people who live together before marriage.

The Source Reconsidered
After reading this I am beginning to doubt my logic that moving in together is obviously the best idea to see if you are ready for marriage. I understand who living together before marriage can take away some of the excitement of finding out new things about your partner. However, the article did not have me sold. I did not get a feeling that it was strongly supported by facts, but rather it was supported by the ideas of one or two people. It did not challenge both views of the argument, which lessened its validity.