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

by Booth, Alan; Crouter, Ann C.; Landale, Nancy S.; Le Bourdais, Celine

• ISBN13: 9780805839630
• ISBN10: 0805839631
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-02-01
• Publisher: Lawrence Erlbau

Summary

Based on the presentations and discussions from a national symposia,Just Living Togetherrepresents one of the first systematic efforts to focus on cohabitation. The book is divided into four parts, each dealing with a different aspect of cohabitation. Part I addresses the big picture question, "What are the historical and cross cultural foundations of cohabitation?" Part II focuses specifically on North America and asks, "What is the role of cohabitation in contemporary North American family structure?" Part III turns the focus to the question, "What is the long- and short-term impact of cohabitation on child well-being?" Part IV addresses how cohabiting couples are affected by current policies and what policy innovations could be introduced to support these couples. Providing a road map for future research, program development, and policymaking.Just Living Togetherwill serve as an important resource for people interested in learning about variations in the ways families of today are choosing to organize themselves.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Acknowledgments	xi
PART I What Are the Historical and Cross-Cultural Foundations of Cohabitation?	1	(50)
Cohabitation in Western Europe: Trends, Issues, and Implications	3	(30)
Kathleen Kiernan
Contemporary Cohabitation: Food for Thought	33	(8)
Nancy S. Landale
(Re) Envisioning Cohabitation: A Commentary on Race, History, and Culture	41	(10)
Andrea G. Hunter
PART II What is the Role of Cohabitation in Contemporary North American Family Structure?	51	(68)
Cohabitation in Contemporary North America	53	(32)
Pamela J. Smock
Sanjiv Gupta
What are the Choices for Low-Income Families?: Cohabitation, Marriage, and Remaining Single	85	(12)
Rukmalie Jayakody
Natasha Cabrera
What Mothers Teach, What Daughters Learn: Gender Mistrust and Self-Sufficiency Among Low-Income Women	97	(10)
Rebekah Levine Coley
The Impact of Cohabitation on the Family Life Course in Contemporary North America: Insights From Across the Border	107	(12)
Celine Le Bourdais
Heather Juby
PART III What is the Long-and Short-Term Impact of Cohabitation on Child Well-Being?	119	(70)
The Implications of Cohabitation for Children's Well-Being	121	(32)
Wendy D. Manning
Cohabitation and Child Development	153	(8)
Ariel Kalil
Of Fathers and Pheromones: Implications of Cohabitation for Daughters' Pubertal Timing	161	(12)
Bruce J. Ellis
Child Well-Being in Cohabiting Families	173	(16)
Susan L. Brown
PART IV How are Cohabiting Couples and Their Children Affected by Current Policies? What Policies Are Needed for These Individuals?	189
Safety Net Programs, Marriage, and Cohabitation	191
Wendell E. Primus
Jennifer Beeson
Federal Social Policy, Cohabitation, and Marriage	229
Ron Haskins
The Complexity of Tax and Transfer Program Rules Regarding Cohabitation: Challenges and Implications	237
Anne E. Winkler
The Economic Rights and Responsibilities of Unmarried Cohabitants	247
Margaret M. Mahoney
What Does it Mean to be ``Just Living Together'' in the New Millennium? An Overview	255
Lynette F. Hoelter
Drawn E. Stauffer