The Disadvantages of Cohabitation

Cohabitation has been considered to be a new lifestyle in all over the world. It is the time when two unrelated people live together without marriage. For some people, it is acceptable. However, there are a large number of people who strongly disagree with this type of living because of its disadvantages.

Firstly, cohabitation normally does not get support of family and society. It is not lawful marriage so cohabitants “need take no legal action” when they break up or begin a new relationship (Cherlin, 1996, p.266). As a result, almost all cohabiting relationships are short and unsafe. Cohabitants normally maintain relationship less than two years (Strong, Devault, Sayad, 1998). Parents never want their children to have an uncertain life thus they often seriously oppose cohabitation. Strong, et al (1998) stated that cohabitation is not favored as eagerly as marriage by parents. Besides, Strong et al (1998) also indicated that everyone seems to believe that cohabiting relationships is lower and unethical. Especially, in Asian countries such as Vietnam, it is not easy to accept cohabitation. Traditionally, a man and a woman can live together only if they sign in marriage certificate. Attitudes of family and society toward cohabitation are usually not positive, cohabitants may be disregarded and kept off.

Secondly, cohabitation brings many bad impacts on the couples’ spirits. According to Fields (2004), cohabiting couples tend to be more adolescent and receive less instructed than married couples (cited in R.H. Lauer &L.C. Lauer, 2007). Hence, when they face up with problems or argue, they are willing to use violence that makes them painful and depressed. Besides, financial issue also makes cohabiting couples worried and stressed. In fact, cohabitants do not share money, they prefer to keep “a sense of financial independence” (Strong et al, 1998, p.198). Blumstein and Schwartz (1983) also confirmed that the woman does not expect the man to provide for her (cited in Strong et al, 1998). So cohabitation does not help the couples to save money, they even have to spend more money for their partners. Especially, in the case of being opposed by family, cohabiting couples may not be received cash support from family members, which is very terrible for young cohabitants who are still student or out of work. Pain and depression as well as worry and stress are like toxic substances to make life become horrible.

Furthermore, almost all cohabitants suffer adverse effects after breaking up. It is difficult for them to start a new relationship because they themselves lose their faith in love when they are betrayed by the one they love most. Moreover, people still consider virgin to be very important thing of a woman. It seems that man isn’t fulfilled and more cautious in his marriage with a partner who has experienced cohabiting life with another (Kendall, 1998). The case becomes more serious