Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2008, Sociology

This dissertation explores two aspects of cohabiting and married relationships that have received little attention: financial arrangements and kin relations. Both topics involve investments and exchanges, either between partners or between partners and family members. It was expected that cohabiting partners would be less likely than married couples to make investments in, and exchanges with, one's partner and one's partner's family pertaining to financial arrangements and family relationships. Unequal levels of risk and chances for reciprocity stemming from legal and normative differences, variations in relationship stability and expectations for permanence, and ideological differences between these couples underlie these expectations.I collected data from both partners of 30 opposite-sex cohabiting, and 30 married couples between the ages of 18 and 59 who had been living together or married for a minimum of three months and a maximum of ten years. Married couples were also matched to cohabiting couples on the basis of the female partner's employment status and year-round presence of children in the household. Participants first completed a mail survey and then participated in a telephone interview. Numerous outcomes were examined. Results found few significant differences between cohabiting and married couples. Cohabiting couples are less likely than married couples to have any joint bank accounts and less likely to have only joint accounts. Regarding kin relations, cohabiting women were found to have less interaction than married women with their partner's parents, and cohabiting men were found to be less likely than married men to have given support (e.g., money, advice, help) to their partner's parents. No other significant differences in relationship status were found. The findings suggest that the day-to-day lives of cohabiting and married couples are fairly similar with regard to financial arrangements and kin relations. Although cohabitation is an incomple (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sharon Houseknecht PhD (Advisor); Chris Knoester PhD (Committee Member); Liana Sayer PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Families and Family Life; Sociology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2012, Human Ecology: Human Development and Family Science

There is limited research on the nature and presenting concerns of different-sex cohabiting couples attending therapy. Research suggests that cohabiting and dating couples have lower levels of commitment, which makes their participation in therapy idiosyncratic (Smock, 2000). Information on this group of cohabiters and daters presenting for therapy would add to our knowledge of non-married intimate relationships in general, and provide implications for a population that is already participating in family therapy. Given the increasing number of individuals choosing a cohabiting lifestyle, studying this population is imperative in order to understand the changing nature of couple relationships in the US. The primary research question is what are the characteristics of cohabiting and dating couples presenting at therapy? A secondary question is whether therapeutic techniques traditionally used with married couples are equally viable with cohabiting couples? The sample includes two hundred-twenty-eight different-sex couples attending family therapy in a clinic at a mid-west university. Variables of interest include relationship type, relationship duration, relationship satisfaction, commitment, and the level of differentiation of self. From a social exchange perspective, married couples have more barriers to union dissolution, and may rely on societal standards to keep their relationship together despite relational difficulties.

Committee: Suzanne Bartle-Haring PhD (Advisor) Subjects: Families and Family Life; Individual and Family Studies; Therapy