User:Drafan9098

Mr J Smith

This user is male.

en	This user is a native speaker of English.

o While the majority of Oklahomans (54%) reject the notion that living together outside of marriage has all the advantages of marriage without the legal details, 36% believe nonmarital cohabitation has all the benefits of marriage. o Fifty-nine percent (59%) of those who are cohabiting outside of marriage believe that their parents approve of their living together, and only 14% believe that their parents disapprove. • Those who lived with their spouses before marriage reported, on average, lower levels of satisfaction, lower levels of commitment, higher levels of negative interaction, and a greater average tendency to think about divorcing, compared to those who did not live together prior to marriage.

Attitudes About Marriage and Divorce:

• Ninety-three percent (93%) of Oklahomans view divorce as a very serious or somewhat serious national problem. • Younger persons express less confidence in the institution of marriage than older persons. They are less positive about marriage and its benefits over cohabitation, are more accepting of divorce, and are less likely than older persons to think that couples who have children together ought to be married.

Fathers, Mothers, and Children of Divorce:

• Seventy-eight percent (78%) of ever-divorced Oklahomans have a child from a previous marriage that ended in divorce. • Most divorced nonresident parents feel close to their children, but they also tend to be dissatisfied with these relationships. o Only 35% of nonresident parents are “very satisfied” with their relationships with their children, 26% are “somewhat satisfied,” and 39% are “not satisfied.”

Low-Income Oklahomans:

• Low-income persons (defined here as recipients of government assistance) hold different views about marriage, divorce, and cohabitation than non-low-income persons.