Name: Nguyn Th Quyn Thiu Th Linh Nguyn Th Mai Hong Th Kim Qu Group: 2 Class: BK 4023- 4B

WEEK 11 : TRENDS
Passage 1: The Downside of Cohabiting Before Marriage
AT 32, one of my clients (Ill call her Jennifer) had a lavish wine-country wedding. By then, Jennifer and her boyfriend had lived together for more than four years. The event was attended by the couples friends, families and two dogs. Readers Comments Readers shared their thoughts on this article. Read All Comments (307) When Jennifer started therapy with me less than a year later, she was looking for a divorce lawyer. I spent more time planning my wedding than I spent happily married, she sobbed. Most disheartening to Jennifer was that shed tried to do everything right. My parents got married young so, of course, they got divorced. We lived together! How did this happen? Cohabitation in the United States has increased by more than 1,500 percent in the past half century. In 1960, about 450,000 unmarried couples lived together. Now the number is more than 7.5 million. The majority of young adults in their 20s will live with a romantic partner at least once, and more than half of all marriages will be preceded by

cohabitation. This shift has been attributed to the sexual revolution and the availability of birth control, and in our current economy, sharing the bills makes cohabiting appealing. But when you talk to people in their 20s, you also hear about something else: cohabitation as prophylaxis. In a nationwide survey conducted in 2001 by the National Marriage Project, then at Rutgers and now at the University of Virginia, nearly half of 20-somethings agreed with the statement, You would only marry someone if he or she agreed to live together with you first, so that you could find out whether you really get along. About two-thirds said they believed that moving in together before marriage was a good way to avoid divorce. But that belief is contradicted by experience. Couples who cohabit before marriage (and especially before an engagement or an otherwise clear commitment) tend to be less satisfied with their marriages and more likely to divorce than couples who do not. These negative outcomes are called the cohabitation effect. Researchers originally attributed the cohabitation effect to selection, or the idea that cohabitors were less conventional about marriage and thus more open to divorce. As cohabitation has become a norm, however, studies have shown that the effect is not entirely explained by individual characteristics like religion, education or politics. Research suggests that at least some of the risks may lie in cohabitation itself. As Jennifer and I worked to answer her question, How did this happen? we talked about how she and her boyfriend went from dating to cohabiting. Her response was consistent with studies reporting that most couples say it just happened. We were sleeping over at each others places all the time, she said. We liked to be together, so it was cheaper and more convenient. It was a quick decision but if it didnt work out there was a quick exit. She was talking about what researchers call sliding, not deciding. Moving from dating to sleeping over to sleeping over a lot to cohabitation can be a gradual slope, one not

marked by rings or ceremonies or sometimes even a conversation. Couples by pass talking about why they want to live together and what it will mean. When researchers ask cohabitors these questions, partners often have different, unspoken even unconscious agendas. Women are more likely to view cohabitation as a step toward marriage, while men are more likely to see it as a way to test a relationship or postpone commitment, and this gender asymmetry is associated with negative interactions and lower levels of commitment even after the relationship progresses to marriage. One thing men and women do agree on, however, is that their standards for a live-in partner are lower than they are for a spouse. Sliding into cohabitation wouldnt be a problem if sliding out were as easy. But it isnt. Too often, young adults enter into what they imagine will be low-cost, low-risk living situations only to find themselves unable to get out months, even years, later. Its like signing up for a credit card with 0 percent interest. At the end of 12 months when the interest goes up to 23 percent you feel stuck because your balance is too high to pay off. In fact, cohabitation can be exactly like that. In behavioral economics, its called consumer lock-in. Lock-in is the decreased likelihood to search for, or change to, another option once an investment in something has been made. The greater the setup costs, the less likely we are to move to another, even better, situation, especially when faced with switching costs, or the time, money and effort it requires to make a change. Cohabitation is loaded with setup and switching costs. Living together can be fun and economical, and the setup costs are subtly woven in. After years of living among roommates junky old stuff, couples happily split the rent on a nice one-bedroom apartment. They share wireless and pets and enjoy shopping for new furniture together. Later, these setup and switching costs have an impact on how likely they are to leave.

Jennifer said she never really felt that her boyfriend was committed to her. I felt like I was on this multiyear, never-ending audition to be his wife, she said. We had all this furniture. We had our dogs and all the same friends. It just made it really, really difficult to break up. Then it was like we got married because we were living together once we got into our 30s. Ive had other clients who also wish they hadnt sunk years of their 20s into relationships that would have lasted only months had they not been living together. Others want to feel committed to their partners, yet they are confused about whether they have consciously chosen their mates. Founding relationships on convenience or ambiguity can interfere with the process of claiming the people we love. A life built on top of maybe youll do simply may not feel as dedicated as a life built on top of the we do of commitment or marriage. The unfavorable connection between cohabitation and divorce does seem to be lessening, however, according to a report released last month by the Department of Health and Human Services. More good news is that a 2010 survey by the Pew Research Center found that nearly two-thirds of Americans saw cohabitation as a step toward marriage. This shared and serious view of cohabitation may go a long way toward further attenuating the cohabitation effect because the most recent research suggests that serial cohabitators, couples with differing levels of commitment and those who use cohabitation as a test are most at risk for poor relationship quality and eventual relationship dissolution. Cohabitation is here to stay, and there are things young adults can do to protect their relationships from the cohabitation effect. Its important to discuss each persons motivation and commitment level beforehand and, even better, to view cohabitation as an intentional step toward, rather than a convenient test for, marriage or partnership.

It also makes sense to anticipate and regularly evaluate constraints that may keep you from leaving. I am not for or against living together, but I am for young adults knowing that, far from safeguarding against divorce and unhappiness, moving in with someone can increase your chances of making a mistake or of spending too much time on a mistake. A mentor of mine used to say, The best time to work on someones marriage is before he or she has one, and in our era, that may mean before cohabitation. Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/opinion/sunday/the-downside-ofcohabiting-before-marriage.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0. 2. Glossary: New words Engagement (n) Pronunciation /ned.mnt/ Meaning an agreement to marry someone Example They announced the ir engagement at the party on Saturday an engagement party Commitment (n) /kmt.mnt/ a willingness to give your time and energy to something that you believein, or a promise or firm decision to do something Evaluate (v) /vl.ju.et/ to judge or calculate the quality, importance, amount, or value of something It's impossible to evaluate these results without knowing more about Sheis known chiefly for he commitment to nuar disarmament

the researchmethods employed. Wireless (adj) /wa.ls/ using a system of radio signals rather t han wires to connect computers, mobilephones, etc. to each other Anticipate (v) /nts..pet/ to imagine or expect that something will happen We had one or two difficulties along the way that we didn't anticipate Prophylaxis (n) /pro.flk.s s/ treatment or actions taken to prevent a disease Antibiotic prophylax is refers to the use of antibiotics to prevent infection. Appeal (n) /pil/ a request to the public for money, information, or help The police have issued an appeal to the public to stay away from thearea at the weekend. She has bought a wireless set

3. Summary: The article is about significant development of cohabitation in U.S in about recently 50 years. Almost young adults will live with a partner and more than half of them get married. The reasons for this are the sexual revolution and the availability of birth

control. A survey pointed out that almost young adults agree with cohabitation. They think that moving in together before marriage is a good way to know what you really get along and avoid divorc. However, in fact, couples who cohabit before marriage have a tendency to be less satisfied with their marriages and even divorce. Cohabitation affects selection, idea of less conventional cohabitors about marriage, so more divorce. According to studies, risks of cohabitation lie in itself. Women likely consider cohabitation as a step before marriage while men likely consider it as a way to test a relationship or postpone commitment. They date, sleep over and cohabitate in a quick way, not marked by rings, ceremonies. But one thing men and women do agree on is that their standards for a partner are lower than they are for a spouse. They like sliding into cohabitation. Maybe the problems are set up and switching costs. Living together can be fun and economical. Generally, there are many other opinions about cohabitation. Some wish they hadnt sunk years into short relationships. Others want to feel committed to their partners. They are confused about if they have consciously chosen their mate yet. A good news is that nearly two-thirds of Americans saw cohabitation as a step toward marriage. This may decrease the cohabitation effect.

Passage 2: Cohabiting couples now as likely to have children as those who are married Report finds the law has failed to keep up with changing family circumstances Owen Bowcott, legal affairs correspondent The Guardian, Thursday 20 September 2012

Cohabiting couples are for the first time as likely to have children as those who marry, according to a report on changing family relationships in the UK published on Thursday.Cohabitation is increasingly seen as an alternative for long-term relationships

and raising children, rather than as a "trial run" before marriage, the study commissioned by the Co-operative's new family law service suggests. A significant proportion of those who have not married, however, are unaware of their rights because the law has failed to keep up with social change, Christina Blacklaws, of the Co-operative Legal Services, warns. The evidence of shifting parenting patterns emerges in data extracted from the 2001 and 2011 censuses. It has been assembled by Dr Esme Hanna and Dr David Grainger, both of Leeds University, who specialise in family relationship changes over time.Their research reveals a 34% increase in the number of cohabiting couples with dependent children in the 10 years to 2011. Over that period, the total number of cohabiting families with dependent children those aged under 18 increased by 292,000, while the number of married couples with dependent children fell by 319,000.Last year, 38% of cohabiting couples were parents the same percentage as married couples with children. Of live births in 2010, 31% were to women cohabiting with but not married to their partner up from 25% in 2001. There are still more married couples with children than cohabiting couples with children in the UK. The rapid changes are reflected in a survey commissioned for the report showing that 52% believe marriage is not important providing that parents are in a committed relationship. Only 27%, according to the survey of more than 2,000 adults carried out by YouGov, take the more traditional view that couples should be married before having children. Despite increasing social acceptance, the report acknowledges that cohabiting couple families continue to be less stable than married couple families. A higher proportion of all family breakdowns involve young children from unmarried parents, the research reveals. There is also substantial confusion over the legal rights of cohabiting couples as compared to married couples. Of adults questioned, over a quarter, 26%, believe

cohabiting couples have the same rights as married couples when it comes to child custody, 22% when it comes to property and 21% when it comes to finances. Hanna and Grainger commented: "Part of the decline in marriage in recent years can perhaps be explained by the increase in cohabitation as a family format, with ever more couples choosing to live together. And as the number of cohabiting couples increases, they are increasingly seen as a socially legitimate family environment for childbearing." Blacklaws, who is director of family law at the Co-operative Legal Services, said: "Although many people still believe they have rights as common-law spouses, there is no such status in law. As a result, some cohabiting families may find themselves facing real difficulties should they split up, particularly when there are children involved. "It is clear that this area of family law is in urgent need of an overhaul. However, in the meantime, people need to think carefully about how they protect themselves and their families preferably by reaching and signing agreements about what would happen if you did split up. This could save a huge amount of cost and heartache if the worst happens." 2. Source: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/sep/20/cohabiting-coupleschildren-report Glossary : New words Commission (n) Prnunciation Meaning /km.n/ to formally choose someone to do a special piece of work, or to formally askfor a special piece of work from someone Extract (v) /kstrkt/ to remove or take out The tooth was eventually Example She's commissioned an artist to paint her portrait

something Property (n) /prp..ti/ an object or objects that beong to someone /ldt..mt allowed by law /

Extracted Children need to be taught to have respect for other people's property

Legitimate (adj)

The army must give power back to the legitimate government.

Heartache (n) /ht.ek/

feelings of great sadness

She writes about the joys and heartaches of bringing up children.

3. Summary: In this paragraph, the author discusses the situations of cohabitating couples in the UK. He gives the fact of marriage in young people. All of them are under 18 and they dont have enough experiment to take care of children carefully. Through the statistic of cohabiting couples and married couples, the author shows the development of cohabiting trend in UK. Besides he also hopes that there will be improvement in law to meet the increasing number of cohabiting couples. They have also children and have to raise them as the children of married couples. Although there is still taboo of cohabitation, people cannot deny that this trend is more and more popular day by day. However, in the meantime, people need to think carefully about how they protect themselves and their families preferably by reaching and signing agreements about what would happen if you split up. This could save a huge amount of cost and heartache if the worst thing happens.

Passage 3:

Cohabiting families 'increasing' Cohabiting couples with and without children are the fastest-growing UK family type, official figures show. The Office for National Statistics' (ONS) study found the number of cohabiting families increased by 65% in the 10 years up to 2006. It also found that during the same period the number of married people with or without children fell by 4%. The study said family types varied according to age, with young people more likely to cohabit with a partner. The Focus on Families study found cohabiting families increased in the decade up to 2006 from 1.4 million to 2.3 million, while the number of married families fell to 12.1 million. But despite the rise, married couples with or without children are still biggest family group - accounting for 71% of the UK's 17.1 million families. Younger people were more likely to cohabit, the ONS said, with half of cohabiting families in 2001 headed by a person under the age of 35. See a graph of age distribution by family type Some 21% of women aged 25 to 29 between 2001 and 2003 had lived with a partner before they were 25, the study found. Younger people are more likely to cohabit

This compared with 1% three decades ago. This increase in cohabitation did not fully explain the decline in marriage, the ONS said, because its research found fewer women aged between 25 and 29 were forming any union - either marriage or cohabitation before the age of 25. "This suggests a delay in partnership formation for younger generations of women," it said. Health effects The two groups least likely to have got married before the age of 45 are men with no qualifications and highly-qualified women, the ONS said. The report suggested such living arrangements could have an effect on health. "Partnership continues to be the healthiest state in general. There are health benefits associated with partnership, especially marriage, but there are variations by sex," it said. "In particular, older single women have better health then married women on many indicators of health status." Meanwhile, the research found lone parents increased by 8% to 2.6 million, with lone mothers tending to be younger than lone fathers. One in three lone mothers and one in ten lone fathers were under 35, the ONS said. The study also found that by 2006, the average number of children in a family had The proportion of married and cohabiting couples with children varies across the UK

fallen to 1.8 - down from 2.0 in 1971. Married couples were found to have larger families, with 1.8 children, while cohabiting couples had an average of 1.6.

Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7027518.stm Summary: Today, there are a lot of cohabiting couples and the number of this couples is fastergrowing through a year. For example: the office for national statstic found the number of cohabiting couples increases by 65% in the 10 year upto 2006 and it increases in the decade up to 2006 from 1,4 million to 2,3 million while the number of married families fell to 12,1 million.Women have age from 25 to 29 between 2001 and 2003 have lived with a partner before they were 25 is 21%.Almost of woman were married before they were 25 years old.Early marriage affects on peoples healthy.Older single women have better health the women many indicator of health status.Beside, alone father is older than alone mother. Cohabiting couple is fast growing so the number of children in a family had fallen to 18 down from 20 in 1971.

VI: LISTENING SUMMARY Before nuclear families control the structure of British families. But nowadays, there are some different family structures, for example: step- family, cohabitation, isolation, community-based society, single- parent,... Firstly, the speaker refers to step- family. That is a family that is formed on the remarriage of a divorced person and that consists of a child or children. This trend is more and more popular. In 1980, 4% children under 13 year olds live with a parent. But in 2008, this figure rises to 20%. Moreover, in USA almost a half of 13-year-old children live with one parent. A nother family structure is cohabitation. Cohabitation is a situation in which two people, especially a man and a woman who are not married, cohabit, they llive together and have a sexual relationship. According to the speaker, in 2006 nearly 3 in total 17.5 million of couples in Britian are unmarried. Besides, many cohabitation couples choose a life without children. At the end of lecture, the speaker introduce us one more family stucture single- parent. In 1972, one of fourteenth children live in alone parent. This figure will continue increasing in the future. However, most single parents have much more difficulty in dealing with income than other couples.