TY  - JOUR
A1  - Perelli-Harris, Brienna
A1  - Lappegård, Trude
A1  - Vignoli, Daniele
A1  - Mynarska, Monika
A1  - Berrington, Ann 
A1  - Berghammer, Caroline
A1  - Klärner, Andreas
A1  - Keizer, Renske
A1  - Evans, Anna
A1  - Isupova, Olga
T1  - Towards a new understanding of cohabitation: Insights from focus group research across Europe and Australia
Y1  - 2014/11/12
JF  - Demographic Research
JO  - Demographic Research
SN  - 1435-9871
SP  - 1043
EP  - 1078
DO  - 10.4054/DemRes.2014.31.34
VL  - S17
IS  - 34
UR  - https://www.demographic-research.org/special/17/34/
L1  - https://www.demographic-research.org/special/17/34/s17-34.pdf
L2  - https://www.demographic-research.org/special/17/34/s17-34.pdf
N2  - Background: Across the industrialized world, more couples are living together without marrying. Although researchers have compared cohabitation cross-nationally using quantitative data, few have compared union formation using qualitative data. 

Objective: We use focus group research to compare social norms of cohabitation and marriage in Australia and nine countries in Europe. We explore questions such as: what is the meaning of cohabitation? To what extent is cohabitation indistinguishable from marriage, a prelude to marriage, or an alternative to being single? Are the meanings of cohabitation similar across countries? 

Methods: Collaborators conducted seven to eight focus groups in each country using a standardized guideline. They analyzed the discussions with bottom-up coding in each thematic area. They then collated the data in a standardized report. The first and second authors systematically analyzed the reports, with direct input from collaborators. 

Results: The results describe a specific picture of union formation in each country. However, three themes emerge in all focus groups: commitment, testing, and freedom. The pervasiveness of these concepts suggests that marriage and cohabitation have distinct meanings, with marriage representing a stronger level of commitment. Cohabitation is a way to test the relationship, and represents freedom. Nonetheless, other discourses emerged, suggesting that cohabitation has multiple meanings. 

Conclusions: This study illuminates how context shapes partnership formation, but also presents underlying reasons for the development of cohabitation. We find that the increase in cohabitation has not devalued the concept of marriage, but has become a way to preserve marriage as an ideal for long-term commitment. 

ER  -