The Role Of Education On Women’s Lives

There is a cohabiting revolution in the United States society that is being experienced across cultures and societies. It cannot be attributed to a particular demographic group. Pamel Smock and Wendy Manning note that about 7.8 million households in the US are headed by a cohabiting couple. They add that between 1997 and 2001, of all the marriages established in the four years, only 38% started as marriages, the rest 68% had started as cohabiting (150). Philip Cohen notes that there is a social change where fewer people want to get married. Also, he adds that unlike the 1950s and 1960s, most people either get married late or do not get married at all. The aspect of social change cannot be overlooked. It is evident there is a decline in formal marriages, and most people are opting for cohabiting.

Limited research has looked into the role of education in influencing the choices made by women when it comes to cohabiting. However, there is enough evidence that indicates that their education goals sometimes influence women’s decision of cohabiting. Various factors have been suggested to trigger the rise of cohabit cases being experienced today. They include educated women likely to get married at a late age, want more autonomy, can cut down costs and are more likely to demand equality that is more occurring during cohabiting than formal marriages.

Educated women gets at an old age to concentrate on the career path first. As noted by Cohen (277), one of the reasons that have led to a decline in marriage is that people are getting married very at an advanced age. A significant factor leading to this is education, where both males and females pursue educational dreams and experience for years. Today, there are millions of women across the United States who are as competent as men. Unlike the past, today’s women are empowered and can pursue their career dreams like their counterparts male. The education process consumes a significant part of the youthful age. Such women are not likely to be married before they are between 33 and 40 years old. It means that such women cannot enter into a formal setup of marriage, but prefers to continue dating throughout their educational lives. In most cases, the women will move in with their partners and start by cohabiting.

The decline in formal marriages can be attributed to the various trends in society that can be associated with education. Most people, including women, feel that society is putting more value on education hence the need to pursue education. The most valuable gift one can inherit from the parents is education. Today, a person without a quality education is unlikely to secure a well-paying job. No one wants to do manual work for the rest of their lives. In light of this, women are pursuing education and career goals and do not deem marriages as essential or as a priority. It is a changing trend where women want to be empowered and equal to men unlike the 1950s when fewer women were enrolled in educational programs. They deem education as one of the most critical factors for promoting their empowerment. Some argue that traditional marriages were used to dominate over women, and that time has come to effect the changes. They want modern marriages where the parties have equal rights and authority.

Women require their financial freedom. They establish themselves before they can commit to the institution of marriage. It is comforting to cohabit to get a sense of companionship even though not so formal. They do not view themselves as individuals who have been left behind by the larger society. It explains why some females in such setups consider their partners as lifelong partners even though they do not want to formalize the relationships and transition into marriages. They want to establish themselves first and build careers before they can enter into formal weddings that are recognized by society.

Educated women require quality time to learn their partners to make an informed decision. Therefore, cohabiting is regarded as a time for knowing more about their partners. Such women want to spend time close to their partners as that provides an opportunity to learn more and gauge the suitability to marriage. They argue that when living with a person, you can know about them than when not living together. It provides a chance for one to find out more and make informed choices concerning lifetime commitments.

Some educated females work in fields that require substantial time investments and may lack time to go out on dates, hence will prefer a partner they can live together. It is an indication that education creates a situation or an environment where the females want to cohabit rather than get into formal marriages before they have established themselves. They want to get into legal marriages when empowered and equal to their partners. They deem this as a means of promoting the position of women in society. To address power inequities in society, women feel that education and empowerment are critical.

Educated females want more autonomy, which is possible during cohabiting than when formally married. Formal marriages are perceived as restrictive. However, they want to make their own decisions and be assured of their independence. It makes them feel in control and not dominated over. The cohabiting setup allows a person to make his or her own decisions and pursue life’s goals without necessarily having to align themselves with the interests and aspirations of the other party. In a formal marriage setup, a female will decline a job because she thinks it will interfere with her marriage. Others even quit jobs to take care of young families. These are the outcomes that cohabiting females want to avoid. They want to be free and pursue life’s goals without any challenges or issues. The opportunity is offered when in a cohabiting setup. A female can make independent decisions regarding jobs and careers.

Education raises self-esteem that helps females to pursue elective posts and top jobs in the market. She will tend to put everything else on hold as she searchers for greener pastures or pursue a political career. They does not want to get married first, as that means she might be limited to options due to the new roles and responsibilities. For such women, cohabiting is the best alternative as it does not put too much pressure on her. She can still make her own choices independently and pursue life’s achievement freely. It does not expect her to meet so many roles, as both partners are not in a formal marriage setup.

Educated women are more likely to demand equality more than uneducated ones. When educated, they view things differently and perceive themselves as equal to males. In light of this, they are not interested in a marriage setup that controls and dominates over them. They want to remain with their sense of independence and autonomy. In a formal marriage, gender roles are already defined where there are tasks and activities that a woman or a man is expected to meet. For instance, the woman is likely to look after children and ensure they are provided for every day. Some women feel that the role should be split equally between men and women. They argue that it is the right way to approach to promote equality between men and women.

In addition, educated women understand their rights and privileges and will demand them when violated. They deem these rights as essential, and their partners should not attempt to sabotage them. In a cohabiting setup, such women do not think their partners are undermining them because no one is controlled or dominated over by the other. Every partner is free to pursue their life’s goals and objectives without any form of interference. It highlights why educated women do not perceive cohabiting as a setup that goes against social norms even though most people think so. Some people are opposed to cohabiting and propose that people should be formally and legally married. However, because the women in these setups feel independent and with autonomy, they perceive the setups as useful for them.

William Axin, Arland Thornton, and Jay Teachman (762) have noted that there are females who get into cohabiting setups to cut down the cost of living. They confess that the setups enable them to share the cost of living hence providing a relief to them. It was earlier noted that the education journey is expensive, and most of the women are unable to sustain themselves financially. Due to this condition, they find themselves opting for cohabiting with their partners. In college, over 50% of women are dating and are likely to move in with their partners and share the costs of various items such as foods and rent. It is a common occurrence especially among females who struggle financially.

Even in the larger society, the economic aspect that leads to cohabiting cannot be overlooked. When two people are dating, they argue that there is no need for them to incur parallel costs while they can live together and share expenses. It is a common view among many couples, meaning it contributes to cohabiting behaviour. In this respect, it cannot be said that education is a significant aspect that leads to this, as it is common even among couples that have not invested in education.

According to Cohen (280), marriages in the U.S. are still valued and are a vital bond in society. According to research, marriage lays a great foundation necessary for the good upbringing of children. However, most educated women postpone the idea of formally getting married to have a better marriage in future that is ideal and admirable by many in society. It is a dream of every woman to be married in a cosy and a classy wedding, which requires enormous capital investment. Therefore, educated women prefer to wait until the ideal time to avoid struggling with finances and to perform weddings that will be the talk of the town. Additionally, educated women do not want to rely on men to provide for all their needs. They also want to contribute to the social welfare of the family as well as make autonomous decisions. Financial freedom

In conclusion, education is the factor that is making women consider cohabiting as an essential alternative. Formal marriages are deemed soo much demanding that they limit one’s freedom to pursue the career and job opportunities. However, cohabiting provides an alternative option that does not require commitment to various roles, such as child-rearing that come from formal marriages. Women want companionships that retain their sense of independence and autonomy. They also want equality that they feel the traditional marriage setup does not offer.

On the other hand, career women are likely to be married late hence perceive cohabiting as an alternative. It provides them with a sense of companionship and without being distracted from their life’s goals and dreams. Education is a tool for women empowerment; hence, most of them do not consider formal marriages as necessary. Finally, the economic aspect of cohabitation cannot be overlooked. There are millions of women who cohabit in a bid to cut down the cost of living through cost-sharing. It is mainly seen among couples that are financially struggling. In essence, cohabiting will continue as most women finding it more suitable to their circumstances.