Intimate relationship development during the transition to adulthood: Differences by social class

Abstract

Compared to middle-and upper-class youth, lower-class youth have a higher prevalence of sexual activity and are more likely to cohabit or to marry early, but they are less likely to ever marry.Lower-class women have strong desires for marriage but difficulty in achieving common prerequisites for marriage. Social class also shapes the relationships of special class-graded groups of youth such as sexual minorities, military service personnel, and prisoners. More research is needed on how the state and its laws and institutions constrain even the most intimate features of young lives.

Changing partner choice and marriage propensities by education in post-industrial Taiwan, 2000-2010

“…The analyses here show additional evidence of a positive social gradient in marriage from a period perspective in an advanced East Asian economy. These findings go along with the expanding social divide that has been shown in many developed societies in recent years (Furstenberg 2008;Kalmijn 2013;Meier and Allen 2008;Smits and Park 2009) where education is increasingly associated with more favorable life outcomes, and such a social inequality further penetrates into the well-being of the next generation (McLanahan 2004). Finally, as societies go through the process of post-industrialization it remains an open question whether more East Asian countries will show a positive educational gradient in marriage likelihood and further improve on gender equity in school, work settings, and inside the family.…”

Examination of Identity and Romantic Relationship Intimacy Associations with Well-Being in Emerging Adulthood

“…] are recognized, valued, and behaviorally supported by their partner'' (Reis et al, 2004, p. 203). Romantic relationships possessing these intimate qualities likely provide a source of emotional support and positively contribute to emotional, social, and psychological well-being since the positive relationship behaviors associated with intimacy (e.g., self-disclosure) provide emerging adults with a sense of security and contribute to positive self-conceptions (Davies & Windle, 2000;Furman & Shaffer, 2003;Meier & Allen, 2008;Montgomery, 2005). In comparison to gender differences in well-being associated with romantic relationship involvement, the relation between emerging adult reports of romantic relationship intimacy and well-being has not been as clearly differentiated.…”

Teenage Cohabitation, Marriage, and Childbearing

“…Men and women who have weak community ties, low levels of religiosity, greater substance use, lower verbal ability, poorer relationships with parents, and disrupted childhood families experience higher odds of teenage or early cohabitation (Amato et al 2008; Houseknecht and Lewis 2005; Meier and Allen 2008; Musick and Meier 2010; Ryan et al 2009). While these are recently published studies and provide important insights, they draw on either select data sources, e.g., 8 th grade girls in 1988 (Houseknecht and Lewis 2005), or use terminology to reference cohabitation that may not resonate with adolescents, e.g.…”

“…Finally, we determine the timing of union formation among pregnant single teenagers. It is important to assess the family formation activities of teenagers, as these decisions are setting the progression of their future family life (e.g., Crissey and Muller 2007; Manning, Giordano and Longmore 2008; Meier and Allen 2008; Raley et al 2007). The family trajectories started in adolescence have ramifications for their subsequent family formation and well-being.…”