Coresidential Unions Research Articles

First Union Formation in Italy: The Role of Micro- and Macro-Level Economic Conditions

In this paper, we use data from the ‘Families and Social Subjects’ survey conducted by the Italian National Institute of Statistics in 2016 to study the impact of micro- and macro-level economic conditions on first co-residential union formation. We aim to determine if and to what extent the probability of forming the first union is explained by individual labour market positions (e.g. having non-standard employment or not having work), and additionally explore if adverse macroeconomic conditions also play a role. We differentiate by union type—marriage and cohabitation—known to be characterised by different levels of union commitment. We also address potential gender differences by conducting separate analyses on men and women. Our results suggest that while micro- and macro-level economic factors matter in the union formation process, their effect varies by gender and union type. Individual economic vulnerability has a greater impact on marriage than on cohabitation for both men and women. Instead, contextual economic uncertainty plays a relevant role, especially in the transition to cohabitation, regardless of gender, and, to a lesser extent, in the transition to marriage, but only for women.

Marital separation, reconciliation, and repartnering in later life

AbstractObjectiveThe growth in gray divorce raises new questions about the marital dissolution process experienced by older adults. Our goal was to assess patterns of reconciliation among couples following marital separation, treating forming a union with a new partner as a competing risk.BackgroundRepartnering after a gray divorce is common, particularly among men. However, the extent to which older adults reconcile with their spouses is unknown. In line with the few prior studies on marital reconciliation among younger people, we anticipated that spouses with fewer resources and more marital‐specific capital would be more likely to reconcile.MethodUsing the 1998–2018 Health and Retirement Study, we tracked women and men who experienced a marital separation after age 50 to evaluate their propensities to reconcile with their spouse versus form a coresidential union (i.e., cohabitation or remarriage) with a new partner relative to remaining separated.ResultsRoughly 7% of women and 11% of men reconciled with their spouses, whereas 12% of women and 26% of men instead formed unions with a new partner within 10 years of marital separation. We expected that having fewer resources and greater relationship‐specific investments would encourage reconciliation, but results were mixed for women and men alike. Resources did tend to be positively associated with repartnering, particularly for men.ConclusionOur study contributes to the emerging research on repartnering after late‐life divorce as well as the limited literature on marital reconciliation by underscoring the utility of examining both reconciliation and repartnering as potential outcomes following marital separation.

Partnership Dynamics of LGB People and Heterosexuals: Patterns of First Partnership Formation and First Cohabitation

In this study we examine partnership dynamics among people with different sexual orientations in Germany. More specifically, we explore the process of first partnership formation and first cohabitation among men and women who self-identify as heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual. Given the various discriminations against same-sex lifestyles, and the limited opportunities to meet potential partners, we assume that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people form partnerships later in life and less frequently than heterosexuals. We further expect that the constantly improving social and legal climate for sexual minorities will lead to a reduction in differences in partnership behaviour by sexual orientation. We use retrospectively reported partnership biographies from the German Socio-Economic Panel, which was supplemented in 2019 with a boost sample of sexual and gender minority households. Using discrete-time event history models, we analyse nearly 15,000 episodes of being single and nearly 20,000 episodes of living without a partner in the household. Around 4.5% of these episodes are from people who self-identify as LGB. The results clearly show that patterns of partnership and coresidential union formation differ by sexual orientation. People with a homosexual orientation—and to a lesser extent people with a bisexual orientation—are less likely to enter into a first partnership and a first cohabitation than people with a heterosexual orientation. Significant changes occur across cohorts: LGB people from younger birth cohorts enter (cohabiting) partnerships much earlier and more frequently than those from older cohorts. Thus, the union formation patterns of LGB and straight people have converged slightly.

Childhood Family Instability and Young-Adult Union Experiences: Black–White Differences in Outcomes and Effects

Today's young adults have diverse union experiences; some enter enduring marital or cohabiting unions at young ages, but many delay or dissolve their unions or remain single. Childhood family instability—defined as parents' transitions into or out of romantic coresidential unions—offers one explanation for why some people are more likely than others to enter and exit unions. We evaluate whether this family instability hypothesis—a union-specific version of the general hypothesis that instability affects people across multiple life domains—can explain Black and White young adults' union formation and dissolution. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics' Transition into Adulthood Supplement (birth cohorts 1989–1999), we find that the marginal effects of childhood family instability on cohabitation and marriage are weaker for Black than for White youth. Further, Black–White differences in childhood family instability's prevalence are small. Consequently, novel decompositions that account for racial differences in instability's prevalence and marginal effects reveal that childhood family instability contributes little to Black–White inequality in young adults' union outcomes. Our results challenge the generalizability of the family instability hypothesis across racialized groups in the union domain. Explanations for Black–White differences in young-adult marriage and cohabitation reside beyond childhood family dynamics.

Repartnering of women in the United States: The interplay between motherhood and socio-economic status

We examine the socio-economic differentials in mothers’ and non-mothers’ repartnering behaviours following the dissolution of a co-residential (marital or cohabiting) union. Based on five waves of the National Survey of Family Growth (N = 11,479), we use discrete-time event history models, jointly modelling exit from a partnership and entry into a new union. Few differences are found for entry into direct marriage, which is a rarely observed event. However, when we examine women’s entry into cohabitation (a possible stepping stone to marriage), we observe: (1) a motherhood gap, where mothers are less likely to repartner than non-mothers; (2) a negative association between educational attainment and repartnering probability; and (3) the motherhood gap existing only for low-educated women. Supplementary analyses on the impact of the Great Recession demonstrate that whereas the economic cycle mattered for the repartnering of low-educated women, it made no difference for more highly educated women.

Community Violence and the Stability of Marriages and Cohabitations in Mexico

AbstractThis study evaluates the link between local violence and the stability of women’s first co-residential unions in Mexico by exploiting the drastic increase in homicide rates caused by the Mexican War on Drugs in December 2006. We use event history analysis and individual union histories collected by a national survey in 2009 to assess whether increasing homicide rates in the previous 2 years relates to the dissolution of marital and cohabiting unions, and to transitions to marriage among cohabitors. Cox models show that a recent spike in violence is associated with a higher risk of dissolution for first coresidential unions among less educated women. Competing-risks Cox models further show that for first cohabiting unions among the less educated, exposure to increasing violence is not only associated with a higher risk of dissolution, but also with a higher risk of transitioning to marriage. In contrast, recent spikes in violence were not significantly associated with union transitions for more educated women. This suggests that increasing local violence may be pushing disadvantaged women in coresidential unions to accelerate significant transitions in their family trajectories, by either dissolving their relationships, or getting married to their cohabiting partner, which plausibly reflects underlying differences in union quality. By evaluating the link between local criminal violence and union stability, our findings contribute to understanding how disadvantaged families cope with disruptions to their social environments.

THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF GRAY DIVORCE FOR WOMEN AND MEN

Abstract Surprisingly little is known about the consequences of gray divorce (after age 50) and how women and men fare economically during the aftermath. Using longitudinal data from the 2004-2014 Health and Retirement Study, we estimated hybrid fixed/random effects models comparing women’s and men’s economic well-being prior to, during, and following gray divorce and subsequent repartnering. Women experienced a 45% decline in their standard of living, whereas men’s dropped by just 21%. These declines persisted over time for men, and only reversed for women following repartnering, which essentially offset women’s losses associated with gray divorce. Both men and women experienced roughly a 50% drop in wealth. Although repartnering seems to reverse most of the economic costs of gray divorce for women, few form new co-residential unions after divorce. This study offers insight about the financial aftermath of gray divorce, which is likely to contribute to growing economic disadvantage among older adults.

ADULT CHILD PROXIMITY AND REPARTNERING AMONG PARENTS AFTER GRAY DIVORCE

Abstract The rise in gray divorce is spurring growth in repartnering, which occurs more frequently after divorce than widowhood. Roughly 40% of men and 25% of women form a co-residential union following gray divorce. Drawing on the 1998-2014 Health and Retirement Study, we assessed whether parent-adult child proximity (living within 10 miles) was associated with men’s and women’s repartnering after gray divorce. Men’s relationships with their children tend to erode following gray divorce, and thus we anticipated that the association between proximity and repartnering was negligible. In contrast, women’s ties to adult children are largely resilient following gray divorce, which led us to expect that having a child nearby reduced chances of repartnering. Our analyses revealed that both men and women with a proximate child less often repartnered than those with no children nearby. Repartnering seemingly functions as an alternative means to “doing family” for those lacking nearby children.

Pathways into childbearing delay of men and women in Australia.

Childbearing delay is a pervasive feature of Australian society, but little research has been conducted to examine how socio-economic factors are linked to childbearing timing among Australian men and women. This paper addresses this by analysing the timing of first childbirth for a large sample of Australian residents (N = 4,444). The findings indicate that childbearing delay is socially patterned and that life course experiences shape the risk of delaying childbearing across genders. Having a tertiary qualification delays the transition to parenthood, especially for women. An uninterrupted career prolongs time to parenthood for women but accelerates it for men. Low occupational prestige, being married and having been in only one co-residential union are associated with earlier parenthood for both men and women. For each increase in education level, not being married is associated with increasing levels of childlessness. Clear-cut gender differences are found in the relationship between childlessness and childbearing delay.

Gender, union formation, and assortative mating among older women

This paper presents a search-theoretic model of union formation among women, aged 55 and older. Specifically, it provides new estimates of gender differentials in cohabitation and marriage at older ages, and documents recent patterns of assortative mating using data from the 2008–2017 American Community Survey. Our analyses reveal that cohabitation represents a much smaller share of all older unmarried women, all partnered women, and all women in comparison to patterns observed among their male counterparts. The results also reveal highly uneven patterns of union formation by age, race and marital history, which reflect demographically uneven constraints and preferences. Our analyses also document, for the first time, patterns of assortative mating at older ages. Shortages of similarly-aged men, especially among older African American women, seemingly heighten the likelihood of demographically mismatched unions. Older women are less likely to form unions with same-race or economically attractive partners, defined as men having a college-degree. This study shows that older single women, in general, are at a comparative disadvantage in the marriage market, both in forming co-residential unions and in finding partners who match their own social, demographic, and economic profiles. This paper highlights considerable heterogeneity in the experiences of America's older women. It calls for new theoretical approaches that acknowledge the unequal resources and bargaining power among older women in the marriage market.

Intermarriage and COVID-19 mortality among immigrants. A population-based cohort study from Sweden

ObjectivesTo evaluate the role of language proficiency and institutional awareness in explaining excess COVID-19 mortality among immigrants.DesignCohort study with follow-up between 12 March 2020 and 23 February 2021.SettingSwedish register-based study...

Why Do Lower Educated People Separate More Often? Life Strains and the Gradient in Union Dissolution

Abstract In many Western countries, coresidential unions of lower educated people are less stable than those of higher educated people. A prominent explanation of this gradient in union dissolution holds that the lower educated experience more strain. Evidence for this explanation has been limited by a focus on only the economic dimension of strain and on only one partner in each union. In this study, we broadened the concept of strain to cover multiple life domains and capture the experience of both partners in each union. To do so, we used longitudinal data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey (N = 52,574 union-years; 7,930 unions). Generalized structural equation models showed that lower educated individuals experienced more strain not only in the economic domain but also in other life domains. Moreover, lower educated individuals tended to have partners who experienced more strain as well. In total, the joint experience of life strains explained 49% of the education gradient in union dissolution. These results suggest that life strains are pivotal to the stratification of family life.

The Economic Consequences of Gray Divorce for Women and Men.

Gray divorce, which describes divorce among persons aged 50 and older, is increasingly common reflecting the doubling of the gray divorce rate since 1990. Yet, surprisingly little is known about the consequences of gray divorce and in particular how women and men fare economically during the aftermath. Using longitudinal data from the 2004-2014 Health and Retirement Study, we estimated hybrid fixed/random-effects models comparing women's and men's economic well-being prior to, during, and following gray divorce and subsequent repartnering. Women experienced a 45% decline in their standard of living (measured by an income-to-needs ratio), whereas men's dropped by just 21%. These declines persisted over time for men, and only reversed for women following repartnering, which essentially offset women's losses associated with gray divorce. No gender gap emerged for changes in wealth following divorce with both women and men experiencing roughly a 50% drop. Similarly, repartnering was ameliorative only for women's wealth. Gray divorce is often financially devastating, especially for women. Although repartnering seems to reverse most of the economic costs of gray divorce for women, few form new co-residential unions after divorce. This study offers a cautionary tale about the financial aftermath of gray divorce, which is likely to contribute to growing economic disadvantage among older adults.

Family Forerunners? Parental Separation and Partnership Formation in 16 Countries

AbstractObjectiveTo analyze the relationships between parental separation and partnership formation patterns across 16 countries and over time, and how the relationships are shaped by contextual factors.BackgroundSeveral studies have found that parental separation predicts higher rates of cohabitation and lower rates of marriage. Few studies have analyzed these relationships over time or across countries, and none have systematically analyzed whether they are moderated by contextual factors.MethodRetrospective partnership histories on 138,739 women and men from the Generations and Gender Survey and Harmonized Histories datafiles were used. Monthly data on entry into cohabitation or marriage as the first coresidential union, and on entry into marriage were analyzed using life table and event history techniques. The overall incidences of parental separation and of premarital cohabitation were used as contextual‐level measures in the event history analyses.ResultsThe association between parental separation and partnership formation was moderated by the spread of premarital cohabitation. Higher incidence of cohabitation was associated with a weaker positive association between parental separation and cohabitation, and a more negative association between parental separation and marriage. The associations between parental separation and partnership formation were not weaker when parental separation was more common.ConclusionChildren of divorce have been among the forerunners of the increase in cohabitation and the retreat from marriage.

Gender Differences in the Marital Plans and Union Transitions of First Cohabitations

In an era of changing relationship norms, plans for marriage are an increasingly complex yet important indicator of the link between cohabitation and marriage. Despite qualitative evidence on this complexity, little is known about the nuances of marital plans and gender differences at the population level. This study introduces the concept of “informal” marital plans—cohabitations beginning with some intentions to marry that had yet to be formalized. Drawing on data of heterosexual cohabitors in their first coresidential union from the National Survey of Family Growth (2011–2015, n = 5545), I examine the sociodemographic correlates of marital plans as well as their consequences for men’s and women’s union transitions. The results show significant gender differences in reports of marital plans at the time of moving in together, with women more likely to report engagement and men more likely to report informal marital plans. Although having any marital intentions is positively associated with transitioning to marriage for both genders, engagement is a significantly stronger predictor of marriage than informal marital plans. Pronounced gender differences are found with respect to the dissolution of first cohabitations, as both informal and formal marital plans are more protective against dissolution for men than for women. Distinguishing informal marital plans from engagement provides meaningful new insights into the role of cohabitation in modern American union formation.

From Living Apart to Living Together: Do Children Born before the Current Partnership Matter?

This study examines the association between having children born before the current partnership and women’s and men’s likelihood of transitioning from living apart together (LAT) to co-residing. LAT partnerships are common among individuals with pre-partnership children, but have so far been under-researched. Our study not only focuses on those in LAT relations, but also takes the different pathways to becoming a single parent into account. Event-history analysis was performed using waves 1-4 from the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study.
 The results indicate that separated and widowed mothers were less likely to transition to co-residence with their LAT partner than childless women who had previously been in a co-residential union. Mothers who had previous out-of-union children were found to be even less likely to enter co-residence. Results were mostly similar for men and women. The only exception was the effect of being widowed with children; for men this resulted in higher chances of transitioning to co-residence with a new partner whereas for women the chances were lower.
 The findings suggest that individuals’ parenthood and union histories are associated with the development of their later partnerships, and that these patterns vary by gender. Given contemporary and future patterns of partnership separation, our study provides insights for better understanding how LAT relations develop for different sub-populations.

Men’s First Partnership Formation in Four Former State-socialist Countries during the Transition Period

Non-marital cohabitation has become increasingly common in advanced societies, although somewhat less so in Central-Eastern Europe in the period immediately following the fall of state socialism. In this paper we focus on changes in men’s first partnership patterns in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Romania between the 1980s and early 2000s, specifically addressing gender differences with respect to the effects of educational attainment. Data on men and women extracted from the first round of Generations and Gender Programme in these countries are analysed, relying on proportional hazards event history models with piecewise constant baseline intensity for entering a first union (cohabitation or direct marriage – as competing risks). We find a positive educational gradient for marriage formation among men in all countries analysed, but only in Hungary for women. No such gradient is seen for cohabitation among men with the exception of Poland. The popularity of cohabitation increased over time while the trend for marriage entry declined, resulting in non-marital unions replacing marriage as the main form of first partnerships by the late 1990s-early 2000s, except for Romania. Declining marriage trends paralleled by women’s growing educational advantage are likely to be related to the limited (and decreasing) supply of highly educated men as most attractive marriage partners in the region. The main contribution of this study is to fill the knowledge gap on changes in family formation patterns with emphasis on men’s first co-residential unions in Central-Eastern Europe in the period of major societal transition. The results point to the importance of gendered effects of educational attainment with respect to the type of first union formed.

Actor-Partner Effects of Childhood Disadvantage on Later Life Subjective Well-Being Among Individuals in Coresidential Unions.

Prior research on cumulative disadvantage has primarily focused on individuals' own childhood adversity for their later-life outcomes. Nevertheless, partner's childhood disadvantage may also shape respondent's later-life well-being. Drawing on a household-level dataset, I examine respondent's own childhood adversity as well as their partner's childhood adversity (poor childhood health, parental divorce, or father's long-term unemployment) on respondent's subjective well-being, at aged 50 and older. Findings from the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) show poor childhood health of the male partner as associated with worse mental health and self-rated health of the female partner in later life. For both outcome measures, the partner effects were attenuated after adjusting for the female partner's report of perceived social support. For self-rated health, adjusting for variation in the presence of a chronic illness and household income also attenuated the association. Partnered individuals are nested within a specific context, whereby stress and implications of early life disadvantage may be conceptualized at the couple-level. Future research that assesses how early life experiences of individuals may have implications for family members' later-life well-being may be valuable.

The Effects of Family Transitions on Depressive Symptoms: Differences among Young Adults with and without Childhood Symptoms of Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is tied to higher levels of depression, but the social factors that shape these associations are not well understood. This study considers whether family transitions affect depressive symptoms differently for young adults with and without childhood symptoms of ADHD at subthreshold or diagnostic levels. Between-within regression analysis of nationally representative longitudinal survey data shows that transitions into cohabitation and parenthood affect depressive symptoms differently for young adults with and without childhood symptoms of ADHD. Specifically, within-person effects indicate that transitions into cohabitation and parenthood are tied to decreases in depressive symptoms, but only for young adults without childhood symptoms of ADHD. In contrast, transitions into marriage are tied to decreases in depressive symptoms, and transitions out of coresidential unions are tied to increases in depressive symptoms, regardless of childhood symptoms of ADHD. The results suggest that some family transitions may work to widen ADHD disparities in depression, under-scoring the importance of family contexts for shaping mental health throughout the life course.

Understanding IPV Perpetration Among Young Jamaican Men: The Role of Socialization and Attitudinal Factors.

This study examined the association among a number of demographic, socialization, and attitudinal factors, and intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration in a sample of young Jamaican men. We conducted bivariate and logistic regression analyses using data from the 2008 Reproductive Health Survey (RHS) administered by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) for the National Family Planning Board. The RHS is a nationally representative sample of Jamaican women of childbearing age and men aged 15-24 years. Findings indicated that being in a co-residential union, residing in an urban area, and having fair or poor health were significant demographic characteristics associated with IPV perpetration. Similarly, witnessing violence between parents in childhood, being physically hit after age 15 years, and having a controlling nature were significant socialization and attitudinal predictors of perpetrating recent IPV. Implications for practice, policy, and areas for further research are discussed.