How Does Cohabitation Change People’s Attitudes toward Family Dissolution?

KREIDL, Martin and Zuzana ŽILINČÍKOVÁ. How Does Cohabitation Change People’s Attitudes toward Family Dissolution? European Sociological Review. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021, vol. 37, No 4, p. 541-554. ISSN 0266-7215. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/esr/jcaa073.

Basic information

• Original name: How Does Cohabitation Change People’s Attitudes toward Family Dissolution?
• Authors: KREIDL, Martin (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution) and Zuzana ŽILINČÍKOVÁ (703 Slovakia).
• Edition: European Sociological Review, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2021, 0266-7215.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: 50401 Sociology
• Country of publisher: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: URL
• Impact factor: Impact factor: 4.099
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14230/21:00118852
• Organization unit: Faculty of Social Studies
• Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/esr/jcaa073
• UT WoS: 000743696800002
• Keywords (in Czech): druhá demografická tranzice; manželství; kohabitace; postoje k rozvodu; životní dráha
• Keywords in English: second demographic transition; marriage; cohabitation; attitude toward divorce; life-course
• Tags: rivok
• Tags: International impact, Reviewed

Abstract

We study if (and how) transitioning into and living in an unmarried cohabitation makes people more accepting of family dissolution. We explore if cohabitation and marriage associate with a different change in attitudes across a set of nine European countries. Using comparative two-wave panel data and within-person attitude change models, we show that time spent in an unmarried cohabitation associates with increased tolerance of divorce at the second interview, net of the transition to cohabitation itself. Cohabitation duration has an effect opposite to the effect of marriage duration. We found little systematic variation in the association between cohabitation and attitude change across countries. We highlight that cohabitation plays a dual role during the Second Demographic Transition: its rise stems from less traditional and more permissive attitudes and values regarding family life. Experience with cohabitation also serves as a catalyst for a value change and further contributes, at the individual level, to a shift toward a less traditional normative standpoint.

Links

• GA17-18235S, research and development project: Name: Institucionalizace nesezdaných soužití: závazky, mezigenerační směna a párové neshody v komparativní perspektivě (Acronym: INKOH)

Investor: Czech Science Foundation