National Symposium on Family Issues

Just Living Together: Implications of Cohabitation for Children, Families, and Social Policy

The chapters in this volume are based on the presentations and discussions from the eighth annual National Symposium on Family Issues, held at the Pennsylvania State University October 30-31, 2000.

Citation
Booth, Alan and Ann C. Crouter (2002). Just Living Together: Implications of Cohabitation for Children, Families, and Social Policy. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

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From the Preface
Forty-one percent of all women between the ages of 15 and 44 have cohabited and 7% are cohabiting now. For some it is a prelude to marriage. For others, it is a post-marital arrangement which may last a few months or several years. For still others it is a coupling that is a substitute for formal marriage and may involve having children. The practice of cohabitation varies greatly by economic circumstances as well as racial and ethnic background. Here we examine the or igins of informal unions and how they are linked to the economy and prevailing attitudes and values. Also explored are the consequences of cohabitation for family relationships and for the well-being of children who live with adults in such unions, as well as a look at policy issues and legal rights and obligations.

Key Topics

1. What Are the Historical and Cross-Cultural Foundations of Cohabitation?

Lead Speaker: Kathleen Kiernan, London School of Economics and Political Science

Discussants:

• Nancy Landale, Pennsylvania State University
• Andrea Hunter, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• Julie Brines, University of Washington

2. What Is the Role of Cohabitation in Contemporary North American Family Structure?

Lead Speaker: Pamela Smock, University of Michigan

Discussants:

• Rukmalie Jayakody, Pennsylvania State University
• Rebekah Levine Coley, Harvard University
• Celine Le Bourdais, University of Montreal

3. What Is the Long- and Short-Term Impact of Cohabitation on Child Well-Being?

Lead Speaker: Wendy Manning, Bowling Green State University

Discussants:

• Ariel Kalil, University of Chicago
• Bruce Ellis, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
• Susan Brown, Bowling Green State University

4. How Are Cohabiting Couples and Their Children Affected by Current Policies? What Policies Are Needed for These Individuals?

Lead Speaker: Wendell Primus, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Discussants:

• Ron Haskins, Subcommittee on Human Resources, Committee on Ways and Means
• Anne Winkler, University of Missouri-St. Louis
• Margaret Mahoney, University of Pittsburgh School of Law

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