|
20 December 2011
Fear of divorce keeping Gen Y single 
The percentage of married adults is at an all-time low in the United States and demographers at Cornell University and the University of Central Oklahoma believe it's because couples fear divorce. Sharing their findings in the journal Family Relations, the researchers note that among cohabitating couples, more than two-thirds admitted to concerns about dealing with the social, legal, emotional and economic consequences of a divorce. Study co-author Sharon Sassler, from Cornell, said that despite marriage concerns, middle-class subjects spoke more favorably about tying the knot and viewed cohabitation as a natural stepping stone to marriage. Lower-income women, on the other hand, disproportionately expressed doubts about the "trap" of marriage, fearing that it could be hard to exit if things go wrong.
The study also noted working-class cohabitating couples were more apt to view marriage as "just a piece of paper," nearly identical to their existing relationship. They were twice as likely to admit fears about being stuck in marriage with no way out once they were relying on their partners' share of income to get by. Sassler and co-researcher Dela Kusi-Appouh hope that their findings will help premarital counselors better tailor their counseling to assuage widespread fears of divorce and to target the specific needs of various socioeconomic groups. Related:
Discuss this article in our forum
Work-Shy Husbands Exposed!
Conflict levels rarely change throughout marriage
Adolescence And Divorce Make For Distant Dads
Boffins probe truthiness levels in online dating
Source: Cornell University
| 
