Here in No. Calif I know several young women who are in what seem to be committed “partner” relationships (yes, with men), who have young children and have been together several years. Both parents have jobs and they live lower middle class lifestyles. Yet there is NO RING. Why?? I don’t know them well enough to grill them on this but I just don’t understand. I think that not getting married has been glamorized to the point where getting married seems like an old fuddy duddy thing. Sigh.
You’re ignoring the pragmatic. You’re asking why they aren’t married when you may want to ask why should they get married instead. Why should people who are just getting by worry about getting into a legal arrangement that more or less just pre authorizes a guy in a long black dress to redistribute their assets after a bad enough argument?