Part I: Robyn Brown; Part II: Susan S. Lang

The following two-part viewpoint extols the advantages enjoyed by unmarried sexual partners who live together. In part I, Glamour writer Robyn Brown contends that cohabitation is a kind of trial marriage that allows couples to learn about each other’s less attractive sides, enabling them to make better-informed decisions about the future of the relationship. In part II, reporter Susan S. Lang discusses the findings of Marin Clarkberg, a Cornell University sociologist who researched the economic circumstances of cohabiting couples. Clarkberg found that cohabitation permits couples with less stable incomes to pool resources while enjoying an intimate relationship that often evolves into a marriage.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What does Brown’s friend, Rebecca, enjoy about her live-in relationship"

2. According to Clarkberg, as...