Generational Differences as a Determinant of Women's Perspectives on Commitment

Differences between 116 graduate and undergraduate women, representing 4 generations (i.e., Baby Boomers, Transitionals, Generation Xers, and Millennials), were studied to categorize earliest awareness and definitions of commitment in relationships. More than 63% of participants in each generation viewed relationship commitment in terms of constraints rather than attractions. Keywords: generation, commitment, couples counseling ********** Even as marriage has become a highly romanticized institution, cohabitation rates are increasing and single parenthood has become more acceptable, leaving marriage a largely voluntary institution (Cherlin, 2010; Luscombe, 2010; Thornton & Young-DeMarco, 2001). Since the early 1990s, commitment has become a buzzword among marriage and family scholars (M. P. Johnson, Caughlin, & Huston, 1999; Stanley & Markman, 1992). In more recent years, an understanding of commitment has become perhaps even more relevant because new counselors and human service workers continue to be trained. Course work in human development across the life span is required by most counselor training programs, accrediting bodies, and licensures (Engels et al., 2010). A component of that course work is learning about the typical as well as the statistically unusual characteristics of individuals, couples, and families across the life span (Carter & McGoldrick, 2005). However, changes in U.S. culture compel the counseling field to clarify the differences in typical characteristics and belief structures of age groups such as the Baby Boomers or Millennials, acknowledging differences in areas such as the desire to marry, the desire to have children, and ideas about commitment to significant others and marriage partners (Wang & Taylor, 2011). Counselors educated in generational attitudes toward commitment can be more responsive to clients from different age groups. COMMITMENT Commitment is defined as feeling that one's romantic relationship is permanent (Leik & Leik, 1977; Thibaut & Kelley, 1959) and entails aspects of both attractions and constraints (D. J. Johnson & Rusbult, 1989; Leik & Leik, 1977). Following in the vein of social exchange theory, attractions are defined as the subjective assessment of rewards outweighing costs in a relationship (Thibaut & Kelley, 1959). Attractions vary in each relationship and are not always rational. Constraints encompass moral, social, and legal barriers having to do with staying in or exiting from a relationship (M. P. Johnson et al., 1999; Rhoades, Stanley, & Markman, 2010; Thibaut & Kelley, 1959). Also referred to as moral commitment and structural commitment (M. P. Johnson et al., 1999), this relationship dimension is reflected in many wedding affirmations that include the life-oriented vows "as long as we both shall live," for example, and entails a desire to be generally consistent and finish what one has begun. Although gender differences in commitment have been discussed, there is still much to learn about particular variations in women's commitment. Women have historically been more likely to define their commitment in terms of moral commitment, but this might change for younger women who fully believe in egalitarianism in romantic relationships and marriage and who have been socialized to sacrifice less (Corra, Carter, Carter, & Knox, 2009; Surra, Boettcher-Burke, Cottle, West, & Gray, 2007). To date, however, studies concerning women's generational differences have largely been concerned with women's attitudes about work and family life balance, and the commitment literature has paid virtually no attention to age (Byrd, 2009; Cennamo & Gardner, 2008; Smola & Sutton, 2002). GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN WOMEN'S VIEWS OF COMMITMENT A small number of studies address generational differences in how individuals come to view romantic commitment (Corra et al. …