Welfare Reform and Marriage Promotion: The Marital Expectations and Desires of Single and Cohabiting Mothers

Using nationally representative data, this examination of marital expectations, desires, and behaviors of single and cohabiting unmarried mothers suggests that a majority of unmarried women, including disadvantaged single and cohabiting mothers, value marriage as a personal goal. Among disadvantaged women, single mothers, and racial minority women, systematic differences point to subgroups with lower marital expectations. However, our results also indicate that marital desires do not easily translate into marriage. Accordingly, from a public policy perspective, single mothers’ attitudes about marriage need not be changed. The problem lies in identifying and reducing barriers that prevent single women from realizing marital aspirations.

[1]  S. Mclanahan,et al.  High hopes but even higher expectations: The retreat from marriage among low-income couples. , 2005 .

[2]  D. Lichter,et al.  Is Marriage a Panacea? Union Formation among Economically Disadvantaged Unwed Mothers , 2003 .

[3]  Sheena McConnell,et al.  Helping Unwed Parents Build Strong and Healthy Marriages: A Conceptual Framework For Interventions. Washington, DC: Mathematica Policy Research , 2003 .

[4]  P. Smock,et al.  First Comes Cohabitation and then Comes Marriage? , 2002 .

[5]  Philip N. Cohen.  Cohabitation and the Declining Marriage Premium for Men , 2002 .

[6]  L. Kowaleski-Jones,et al.  Who's in the house? Race differences in cohabitation, single parenthood, and child development. , 2002, Child development.

[7]  K. Moore,et al.  Marriage from a Child's Perspective: How Does Family Structure Affect Children, and What Can We Do about It? Child Trends Research Brief. , 2002 .

[8]  Avis A. Jones-DeWeever.  Marriage Promotion and Low-Income Communities: An Examination of Real Needs and Real Solutions. Briefing Paper. , 2002 .

[9]  R. Lerman.  Should Government Promote Healthy Marriages , 2002 .

[10]  Zheng Wu,et al.  The effects of marital and nonmarital union transition on health , 2002 .

[11]  N. Folbre,et al.  Marriage, Poverty, and Public Policy. A Discussion Paper from the Council on Contemporary Families. , 2002 .

[12]  Scott Coltrane.  The Marriage “Solution”: Misplaced Simplicity in the Politics of Fatherhood , 2001 .

[13]  J. Sprey.  The Case for Marriage: Why Married People Are Happier, Healthier, and Better off Financially , 2001 .

[14]  J. Goldstein,et al.  Marriage Delayed or Marriage Forgone? New Cohort Forecasts of First Marriage for U.S. Women , 2001, American Sociological Review.

[15]  Maureen R. Waller.  High hopes: unwed parents' expectations about marriage , 2001 .

[16]  Susan L. Brown.  Union Transitions Among Cohabitors: The Significance of Relationship Assessments and Expectations , 2000 .

[17]  S. Hoffman.  A Treatise on the Family , 2000 .

[18]  K. Edin.  What Do Low-Income Single Mothers Say about Marriage? , 2000 .

[19]  A. London,et al.  MY CHILDREN COME FIRST: Welfare-Reliant Women's Post-TANF Views of Work-Family Tradeoffs, and Marriage , 1999 .

[20]  R. Schoen,et al.  The effect of attitudes and economic activity on marriage , 1999 .

[21]  S. South,et al.  Mate Availability and the Transition to Unwed Motherhood: A Paradox of Population Structure. , 1996 .

[22]  Gary D. Sandefur,et al.  Growing up with a Single Parent: What Hurts, What Helps , 1996 .

[23]  D. Lichter,et al.  Some Women Marry Young: Transitions to First Marriage in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas. , 1993 .

[24]  K. Bulcroft,et al.  Race Differences in Attitudinal and Motivational Factors in the Decision to Marry. , 1993 .

[25]  S. South,et al.  Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Desire to Marry. , 1993 .

[26]  D. J. Landry,et al.  Race and the retreat from marriage: A shortage of marriageable men? , 1992 .

[27]  W. Manning.  The implications of cohabitation for children's well-being. , 2002 .

[28]  Scott Coltrane.  MARKETING THE MARRIAGE "SOLUTION": MISPLACED SIMPLICITY IN THE POLITICS OF FATHERHOOD , 2001 .

[29]  Rukmalie Jayakody,et al.  Mental Health Problems Among Single Mothers: Implications for Work and Welfare Reform , 2000 .

[30]  D. Lichter,et al.  Finding a Mate? The Marital and Cohabitation Histories of Unwed Mothers , 1999 .