In the first case, Fisher argues that the rise of women in the workforce and dual-income households has meant that more men can expect to be "financial co-partners, rather than one totally dependent on the other." And, when it comes to "slow love" — people delaying marriage and parenthood in greater numbers ( if they choose to get married at all ) — young adults are coming into their own as independent people more often than they did in the past. That means they want the nitty-gritty details of what mashing their lives together might mean — before they make an emotional or legal commitment.