Special Collection 19

New Relationships from a Comparative Perspective

Published 05 July 2017

This Special Collection of Demographic Research – edited by Anne-Rigt Poortman and Belinda Hewitt – examines cross-national differences in how traditional marriage differs from emerging new relationship types. Besides the cross-national approach, the contributions go beyond previous research by shifting the focus from the often studied differences in social-demographic behavior or well-being to differences in how couples negotiate and give form to their relationship in daily life and people’s relationships with their extended family. In addition, some contributions include living-apart-together (LAT) relationships besides the more often studied cohabiting relationships. This collection shows that attitudes towards non-marital relationships are becoming more tolerant across many countries. However, evidence about the strength of marriage norms is mixed and, compared to marriage, important differences in the conduct and negotiation of new relationships are also apparent. The differences between marriage and new relationships are found to depend upon the country context.

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05 July 2017 | editorial

Editorial for Special Collection on New Relationships from a Comparative Perspective

Anne-Rigt Poortman, Belinda Hewitt

Volume: 37 Article ID: 2
Pages: 13–24
DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2017.37.2

Abstract Full Text [PDF]

14 May 2014 | research article

Attitudes on marriage and new relationships: Cross-national evidence on the deinstitutionalization of marriage

Judith Treas, Jonathan Lui, Zoya Gubernskaya

Volume: 30 Article ID: 54
Pages: 1495–1526
DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2014.30.54

Abstract Full Text [PDF]

15 May 2014 | research article