Normative Groups: The Rise of the Formation of the First Union Through Cohabitation in Quebec, a Comparative Approach

Abstract

The rise of cohabitation in Quebec has attracted the interest of some demographers who have documented it, but why or how Quebec actively adopted this new behavior while it long had a reputation for being conservative in attitudes and behaviors with respect to family is still debated. One view is that this shift is related to an important transformation of the foundation of the normative system shared by the members of its main socio-religious group, French-speaking Catholics. This article is part of a research effort looking for empirical evidence to sustain this claim. Using data from the 1984 National Fertility Survey and from the 1990, 1995, 2001, and 2006 General Social Surveys, we estimate the hazard functions of the formation of the first union by marriage or by cohabitation for ten-year birth cohorts from 1911 to 1981 among several “normative groups” defined by language, religion, and province of residence. The results support the notion that the demise of the formation of the first union by marriage and its replacement by cohabitation in Quebec is typical of French-speaking Quebecers, among which those who declare themselves Catholic have become similar to those who declare having no religious affiliation.