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The Role of Cohabitation in Recent Family Formation Behaviors…… Stratification in American Family: Single, Cohabiting, or Married at the Birth of a First Child Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Anna M. Cunningham, M.A. Graduate Program in Sociology The Ohio State University 2010 Dissertation Committee: Zhenchao Qian, Advisor Liana Sayer Claire Kamp Dush Copyright by Anna M. Cunningham 2010 ABSTRACT The latter half of the twentieth century has ushered in substantial changes in the institution of the American family. The declining significance of marriage and the increasing prevalence of cohabitation in recent decades, both features of even broader economic and social shifts, have reshaped the life course pathways of today’s young adults. Through most of the 20th Century, across all socio-economic groups, the normative life course pathway in the U.S. prescribed marriage followed by parenthood. However, as young adults delay or forgo marriage, cohabitation and non-marital childbearing have become more prevalent. Although marriage is still viewed as the ideal entrée to parenthood among most young adults, a substantial share of the population forms families outside of marital unions. Currently, nearly 40 percent of all U.S. births occur outside of marriage, and half of these births are to cohabiting couples (Mincieli et al., 2007). The percentage of those born to single parents or unmarried cohabiting parents raises questions about the present state and future trajectory of American families. Although ample research has addressed the sweeping family changes of the last few decades, cohabitation’s place in U.S. family systems and cycles has been under-explored. I contribute to this research using the life course perspective to compare individuals across cohorts about their family formation behaviors. I explore the mechanisms that may have contributed to different behaviors within and across generations. Specifically, I examine the relationship contexts of never married women’s first conceptions, and their subsequent union ii transitions following a first non-marital pregnancy. I then explore the correlations between diverse childhood family experiences and adulthood behaviors. My results suggest that cohabitation is beginning to play a prominent role in the stratification of the American family. The life course pathway’s of today’s young adults are increasingly divided by race and educational attainment. While college educated White women mostly follow the traditional pathway of marriage followed by childbearing, less educated Whites are increasingly having children while cohabiting. On the other hand, Black women increasingly have children outside of any co-residential arrangement. Indeed, rapid social change has a profound effect on women’s union choice and timing of childbearing. Because the relationship and family trajectories of today’s young adults continue to evolve and life course pathways are growing more complex, the results of this dissertation suggest the need for additional research into the rapidly changing American family. iii Dedication Dedicated to My Three Marie’s iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my advisor Zhenchao Qian for the continued support, mentorship and guidance he has offered throughout my ―bumpy‖ graduate career. I have had some unexpected turns in my graduate career and I know I have provided my advisor with a few headaches along the way, but Zhenchao never gave up nor let me give up on the completion of this dissertation. He is an outstanding faculty member of Sociology Department of The Ohio State University, but he is also an incredible person. It has been an honor to have had him as my advisor, and I am deeply grateful for all he has done for my graduate career. I am also grateful to Daniel Lichter and Sharon Sassler, who provided me with several research and publication opportunities that have benefited my graduate career immensely. I would like to thank the members of my dissertation committee, Liana Sayer and Clair Kamp- Dush for the valuable advice and support they have provided throughout my time at Ohio State. I wish to acknowledge the help of the Department of Sociology at Ohio State and the Initiative in Population Research at Ohio State for providing numerous valuable research opportunities and generous funding. I would like to think my friend Amanda Kennedy for her support, advice and friendship throughout my graduate student career. I would like to acknowledge Amber Ault for the amazing editorial support she has provided, but also for the invaluable advice and coaching she offered during the final stages of this dissertation. I would like to thank my father for his support. v I would like to thank my husband John. Over the last few months , while I was dedicating every waking moment to my dissertation, you were working the ―second shift‖ taking care of our new baby girl. Arlie Hochschild would be proud. Thank you my love. Lastly I would like to thank the three Marie’s in my life. First, my grandmother, Marie Higgins. She was a pioneer of her time. Born in 1912 in rural Appalachia, she was the first member of her family and was one of the first women of Magoffin County Kentucky to pursue a college education. My grandmother helped to pave the road that I now walk without obstacles. Second, my mother, Donna Marie Cunningham. You followed in the footsteps of my grandmother. You never took no for answer, and as a child, you instilled in me the strength and persistence I needed to complete my educational endeavors. The last three years of my life have been incredibly trying, but with your unending support I have been able to push forward. You have been my number one cheerleader---as well as agitator---and I thank you for that. You have also provided financial assistance throughout my time as an impoverished graduate student, and that has also been much appreciated. Thank you Mom, I love you. Finally, my baby girl, Sophia Marie. Thank you for taking long naps so I could write and edit my chapters, and never fussing or complaining--only smiling. Sophia you have only been in my life for 7 months, and yet you are the reason I was able to complete my graduate education. You have inspired me more than you will ever know and you have taught me what true love really is. Thank you my sweet angel, I love you vi VITA August 14, 1978 ………………………….Born – Wheelersburg, Ohio 2000 ……………………………………….B.A. Sociology, Otterbein College 2003………………………………………. M.A. Sociology, The Ohio State University 2008 to present…………………………… Researcher/Data Base Manager Synthesis Inc. 2006 to 2008 ……………………………. .Research Associate, Nationwide Children’s Hospital 2001-2006…………………………………Graduate Teaching and Research Associate, The Ohio State University PUBLICATIONS Cunningham, Anna M. and Chris Knoester 2007. ―Marital Status, Parenthood, and Psychological Well-being.‖ Sociological Inquiry 77 (2) 264–287 Sassler, Sharon and Anna M. Cunningham 2008. ―How Cohabitors View Childbearing.‖ Sociological Perspectives 51 (1) 3-28. Sassler, Sharon, Cunningham, Anna M., and Dan Lichter. 2009 ―Intergenerational Patterns of Union Formation and Marital Quality,‖ Journal of Family Issues 30, 757- 786. Fields of Study Major Field: Sociology vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract.............................................................................................................................. ii Dedication......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements............................................................................................................v Vita................................................................................................................................... vii List of Tables .....................................................................................................................ix List of Figures ....................................................................................................................x Chapter 1: Introduction .......................................................................................................1 Chapter 2: Theoretical Perspectives....................................................................................8 Chapter 3: Data, Measures, and Analytic Strategy ...........................................................16 Chapter 4: Changing Trends in Non-marital Childbearing and Union Formation: The Role of Cohabitation in Recent Family Formation Behaviors……...............................................29 Chapter 5: Childhood Family Structure: Intergenerational Patterns of First Union Formation and Childbearing behaviors………………………………………………..............................77 Chapter 6: Conclusion......................................................................................................116 References........................................................................................................................132 viii LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1: Sample Characteristics at Wave 1 by Attrition Status and Sex……………………28 Table 4.1: Characteristics of Female Respondents by Cohort...................................................67 Table 4.2: Characteristics of Single Non-Cohabiting Women by Conception Status and Cohort……………………………………………………………………..................................68 Table 4.3: Characteristics of Cohabiting Women by Conception Status and Cohort................69 Table 4.4:
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