currently cohabiting: relationship attitudes and intentions
DESCRIPTION
Currently cohabiting: Relationship attitudes and intentions. Dr Ernestina Coast. Cohabitation. Fuzzy Timing Heterogeneous Post-marriage (pre- and post-divorce) Pre-marriage Post widowhood Evolving. Good large-scale descriptive data on incidence and trends - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Currently cohabiting:Relationship attitudes and
intentions
Dr Ernestina Coast
Cohabitation Fuzzy
Timing
Heterogeneous Post-marriage (pre- and post-divorce) Pre-marriage Post widowhood
Evolving
Good large-scale descriptive data on incidence and trends
Representative attitudinal surveys
Empirical gap: cohabitees emerging qualitative research survey data relationship intentions and attitudes
longitudinal data – collected while subjective state exists systematic empirical investigation of social change
British Household Panel Survey (BHPS)
Annual since 1991
Approx. 5,000 households
Full interview with new partners
1991
: W
ave
1
1992
: W
ave
2 F
ull
mar
riag
e &
co
hab
itat
ion
his
tory
An
nu
al s
tatu
s u
pd
ates
1998
: W
ave
8
Rel
atio
nsh
ip q
ues
tion
s
An
nu
al s
tatu
s u
pd
ates
2003
: W
ave
13
Rel
atio
nsh
ip q
ues
tion
s re
pea
t
An
nu
al s
tatu
s u
pd
ates
2006 Wave 16
?
Cohabitation converted to marriage?
Cohabitation persisted?
Cohabitation ceased?
Child born?
Relationship:
attitudes
intentions
1998
Couples = 398
2003
Couples = 333
Analysis
Wave 13 (2003)
Treat as cross-sectional
Never-married aged under 35
Individuals and linked couples
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35
Never marriedNot in relationship
CohabNon-cohabrelationship
Married
Questions “We are interested in why you and your partner
have chosen to live together rather than being married. Do you think there are any advantages in living as a couple, rather than being married?”
If “Yes”
“What do you think are the advantages of living as a couple?”
Questions “Do you think there are any disadvantages in
living as a couple, rather than being married?”
If “Yes”
“What do you think are the disadvantages of living as a couple?”
Interview influence
BHPS reports presence of others during interview
Analysis shows no significant effect of other’s presence on responses.
Cohabitation an advantage over marriage
Men 32% Women 35%
Parent 28% Childless 37%
Sig p<0.05 for both men and women
Majority no positive advantage
Why an advantage?
Parent Childless
Men Women Men Women
Trial marriage
30 26 33 40
No legal ties
21 26 32 17
Personal independence
15 8 2 8
Financial advantage
12 29 18 22
Other 22 11 15 13
Cohabitation a disadvantage over marriage
Men 18% Women 22%
Parent 22% Childless 20%
Majority no definite disadvantage
Why a disadvantage?
Parent Childless
Men Women Men Women
Financial insecurity
36 5 38 30
No legal status
18 35 18 33
Effect on children
14 12 7 4
Lack of commitment
5 9 7 14
Social stigma
18 26 11 4
Comparing couples
Man
Woman
Advantage No advantage
Advantage 18 15
No advantage 22 45
Comparing couples
Man
Woman
Disadvantage No disadvantage
Disadvantage 6 10
No disadvantage
17 67
Question: Future intentions
“Obviously you cannot say for certain what will happen, but could you please look at this card and read out the number of the statement which you feel applies most closely to your current relationship?
Showcard 1 Planning to marry 2 Probably get married at some point 3 Probably just keep living together without
marrying 4 Have not really thought about the future 5 Other (specify) 6 Don’t know
Marriage expectations
Men Women
Planning to/ probably will marry
71 73
Continue to live together
17 18
DK/ No thought to future / Other
12 9
Marriage expectations: couplesWomen
Men
Planning to/ will marry
Cohabit DK/No thought to
future
Planning to/ will marry
60 9 3
Cohabit 5 10 5
DK/ No thought to
future
4 2 2
Marriage expectations: women
Mother Childless
Planning to/ probably will marry
60 73
Continue to live together
29 16
DK/ No thought to future / Other
11 11
Supplementary Question
“Even though you have no plans to marry at the moment, can you please look at this card and tell me how likely it is that you will ever get married to anyone in the future?”
Showcard
1 Very likely 2 Likely 3 Unlikely 4 Very unlikely 5 Don’t know
Marriage expectations: women
Mother Childless
Very likely 0 8
Likely 26 33
Unlikely 48 33
Very unlikely 22 15
Do not know 4 11
Interrogating the questions
Grounded in reality Take account of circumstances rather than an
expression of abstract desire
Supplementary question on marriage expectation moves from current relationship to any future hypothetical relationship
Interrogating the answers
Intentions uncertain and subject to change
Question understanding
Companionship response Childless mention children
Cohabitation Which couples achieve their relationship
intentions? How persistent are relationship intentions?
Non-resident partnerships
Future directions