Heterosexual Cohabitation among Unmarried College Students

This article is an initial exploration of unmarried cohabitation as experienced by female students at Cornell University, and includes a description of the nature of the relationship, the reasons for involvement, and attendant problems and benefits. Discussion is based on intensive interviews with fifteen junior and senior women, and questionnaire responses from 29 junior and senior women, all of whom had experienced cohabitation. The author suggests that living together unmarried is becoming an increasingly common aspect of campus courtship and is frequently associated with the going steady phase of the dating relationship. Implications for research and education are indicated.