A Study of Commitment and Relationship Quality in Sweden and Norway

Abstract

The Scandinavian countries are often cited as examples of countries where cohabitation is largely indistinguishable from marriage. Using survey data from Norway and Sweden (N = 2,923) we analyzed differences between cohabitors and married individuals in relationship seriousness, relationship satisfaction, and dissolution plans. Our analyses reveal that cohabitors overall are less serious and less satisfied with their relationships and are more likely to consider ending their current relationships than are married respondents. The views of cohabitors who report that they intend to marry their current partners within 2 years, however, differ much less from those of married respondents than cohabitors with no marriage plans. This finding suggests that even in Scandinavia cohabitors are a heterogeneous group.

Understanding Diversity in the Meaning of Cohabitation Across Europe

“…We could imagine that cohabiters who are classified as viewing their union as a prelude to marriage are more similar to married respondents in their views on cohabitation than other types of cohabiters. Prior studies for instance have shown that cohabiting unions in which marital intentions are present are not qualitatively different from married unions (Brown and Booth 1996;Wiik et al 2009). We could also imagine that countries may differ in the extent to which the views on cohabitation and marriage differ by relationship status.…”

Do coresidence and intentions make a difference? Relationship satisfaction in married, cohabiting, and living apart together couples in four countries

“…Couples with lower levels of attachment and commitment to a partner may be less likely to marry than to cohabit or live apart, and in turn report lower levels of relationship satisfaction than those who are married. For example, Wiik, Bernhardt, and Noack (2009) find that Swedish and Norwegian cohabiting couples who intend to get married have similar levels of relationship satisfaction to married couples, and only cohabiting couples with no intention to marry their partner have significantly lower levels of relationship satisfaction. We might expect similar patterns for LAT relationships differentiated according to whether they plan to live together or marry in the future.…”

Untraditional caring arrangements among parents living apart

“…It is probable that fathers have invested more in their children in a long lasting relationship compared with a short one. Although cohabiting parents have long been culturally accepted in Norway (Noack 2010), and fathers in consensual unions have acquired stronger legal ties to their children, the decision to marry may still signal a greater commitment to family life than a consensual union (Wiik et al 2009). Moreover, many fathers in our sample had their children before the strengthening of cohabiting fathers' rights.…”