ABSTRACT
In many societies, the roots of contemporary cohabitation patterns can be traced to the nineteenth century or earlier. Puerto Rican scholars note that consensual unions were present in the period immediately after Spanish colonization in the sixteenth century. The evolving definition of cohabitation probably differs from country to country. Cohabitation is generally viewed in one of two ways in the literature: as an alternative form of marriage without the usual legal sanctions; or as the last stage in the courtship process, a type of alternative "engagement." One of the primary roles and normative functions of marriage is childbearing. Decisions about relationships with members of the opposite sex take place in a context in which the participants are also making decisions about educational and employment opportunities. Delaying both marriage and childbearing has long been an American tradition, one that developed out of the Western European heritage.
