ABSTRACT
The causes of relationship breakdown have become a major focus of academic and public policy research, however, less attention has been paid to the motivations of individuals to commit to a long-term partnership. This chapter examines the process through which the participants embark on and commit to being in a dyadic heterosexual relationship, and focuses on intimate couple relationships. While cohabitation was a viewed as a major step for the couples, in the most of the accounts it was entered into without a great deal of reflection or discussion. The practical nature of moving in together may mean that the reasons cited for this step are more pragmatic, as the excerpts from the interviews show cohabitation is often prompted by decisions external to relationship, for example wanting to move out of a shared house or a lease being up, rather than as a major emotional commitment to the relationship.
