Using longitudinal data from the Fertility and Family Surveys and individual-level diffusion models, the paper studies the spreading of cohabitation among young women in three countries with different institutional contexts: the conservative welfare capitalist West Germany, the former socialist East Germany and the familialist Italy. The description of the diffusion process across generations shows that in East and West Germany successive birth cohorts experienced not only an impressive rise in the proportions of cumulative pre-cohort adoption but also a steep increase in the cumulative proportions of peer group adoption (to about 40–50%) at each age. In contrast, in Italy even among the youngest birth cohorts not more than about 10% of women have adopted cohabitation before eventually entering into first marriage. The results of the paper suggest that the diffusion of cohabitation does not imply a strong mechanism that links the cohabitation experiences across generations. Rather, cohabitation seems to be driven mainly by direct social modelling of peers.

The Diffusion of Cohabitation among Young Women in West Germany, East Germany and Italy

NAZIO, Tiziana;
2003-01-01

Abstract

Using longitudinal data from the Fertility and Family Surveys and individual-level diffusion models, the paper studies the spreading of cohabitation among young women in three countries with different institutional contexts: the conservative welfare capitalist West Germany, the former socialist East Germany and the familialist Italy. The description of the diffusion process across generations shows that in East and West Germany successive birth cohorts experienced not only an impressive rise in the proportions of cumulative pre-cohort adoption but also a steep increase in the cumulative proportions of peer group adoption (to about 40–50%) at each age. In contrast, in Italy even among the youngest birth cohorts not more than about 10% of women have adopted cohabitation before eventually entering into first marriage. The results of the paper suggest that the diffusion of cohabitation does not imply a strong mechanism that links the cohabitation experiences across generations. Rather, cohabitation seems to be driven mainly by direct social modelling of peers.
2003
19
47
82
cohabitation; family formation; diffusion; social modelling; structural equivalence
T Nazio; H-P Blossfeld
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2318/53570
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