Singlehood & Family Diversity in the U.S.

What we know about singles Never married, ages 40-49 12% women & 14% men Kunz, Think Marriages and Families Age @ 1st marriage 28.2 men 26.1 women 2010 US. Census highest median age Size of singles (never been married) has doubled 1972 % singles has increased with educational levels

Less need for marriage for both men & women

Types of singles

Voluntary Temporary Singles interested in marriage, but not a high priority students career people

Voluntary Stable Singles Not interested in marriage Catholic nuns & priests Single parents Represent 15.4% of all families 2010 US census 12.8 million (9.9 million are single mothers)

Involuntary temporary singles Want to be married

Involuntary stable singles Wanted to be married but did not Marriage laws prohibit

Benefits of Being Single Privacy, few constraints, independence Varied sexual experiences; cohabitation Exciting, changing lifestyle Meeting new friends w/ different interests Economic autonomy Freedom of responsibility to care for spouse (and children) Basic need for independence

The Cost of Being a Single Man Single men have the most well-being problems. Higher mortality Higher Alcoholism Higher suicide rates More mental health problems.

The Cost of Being a Single Woman Single women are more likely to be raped, mugged, & burglarized.

Benefits of Being Married Companionship Faithful sexual partner Dependability, love Sharing mutual interests Pooling economic resources Social approval for “settling down” Becoming a part of something larger than self Source: Stein, 9181; Carter & Sokol, 1993 in Benokraitis 2002

Cohabitation Substitute for marriage Step toward marriage Highest rate of marriage after 5-7 years Trial Marriage Highest rate of split after 5-7 years Coresidential dating

Other Variations Grandparent Families Stepfamilies 4.4 million (6% of all children) 2000 Census Stepfamilies Men & Women age 40-49 Married once Men 67% Women 65% Married twice Men 16% Women 19% Married 3 x Men 3% Women 4%

Families with Same-Sex Parents Heads of household of 754,000 households in the US 2010 Census American Academy of Pediatrics supports the right of gays and lesbians to adopt their partners’ children After 2 decades of studies

Similarities Whatever their sexual orientation, people expect family life to provide them with a measure of emotional support, love, security, and companionship. Women more likely to value equality Source: Lauer and Lauer, Marriage and the Family, the Quest for Intimacy

Differences Heterosexual couples Homosexual couples Argue more about politics and social issues Homosexual couples Argue more about distrust or lying More egalitarian in sharing household tasks Gay men less monogamous than married heterosexual men Most psychological intimacy with lesbian couples Source: Lauer and Lauer, Marriage and the Family, the Quest for Intimacy