Final answer:
Conjoint marriage involves the sharing of socioeconomic resources within a household and is influenced by various societal norms and economic factors. The increase in cohabitation before marriage in Western societies has led to changes in marriage patterns, including later ages of first marriage and altered family structures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of conjoint marriage is closely related to the partitioning of a household where multiple families may live together and share socioeconomic resources. In societies observing conjoint marriage, a household may include several conjugal units, and it can be a response to various socioeconomic stresses, such as those cited in the case of the Nyinba.
In modern Western contexts, cohabitation before marriage has increased as a result of shifts in societal norms regarding marriage and family structure. This trend has led to changes in the age of first marriage and the view of what constitutes a family. This societal shift can be attributed to a range of factors, including greater acceptance of single parenting and cohabitation, economic challenges, and the prioritization of education and career.
Postmarital residence patterns, such as neolocal and patrilocal residence, play a role in how a newly married couple will organize their household, which consequently can influence family dynamics and the structure of subsequent marriages within a society.