Not truly partnerless: Non-residential partnerships and retreat from marriage in Spain

Women’s changing socioeconomic position and union formation in Spain and Portugal

“…This apparent convergence in the timing of family formation is, however, somewhat deceptive. Whereas in most European countries first marriage is usually preceded by cohabitation and, consequently, partnership formation occurs significantly earlier than reflected in marriage statistics (Kiernan 2000b), in Southern Europe the prevalence of cohabitation is still relatively low and, hence, the documented late pattern of entry into marriage implies also a late pattern of entry into first partnership (Castro-Martín et al 2008). According to 2001 Census data, 70.1% of Spanish women and 53.3% of Portuguese women in their 20s had never entered a conjugal union.…”

Neither single, nor in a couple. A study of living apart together in France

“…Is this a temporary or a long-lasting decision? A recent study suggests that, in Spain, LAT relationships among women aged 20-34 are a preliminary stage of the courtship process, potentially leading to cohabitation (Castro-Martín et al 2008). To what extent do persons in an LAT relationship intend to cohabit with their partner at a later date?…”

Familia, empleo femenino y reproducción en España: incidencia de los factores estructurales

“…De hecho, los estudios realizados a este respecto apuntan a que, en los países del sur de Europa, se está produciendo un gradual y contradictorio cambio en los roles de género que está teniendo una clara incidencia en las pautas reproductivas, familiares y laborales, sobre todo de la población femenina (Lück y Hofäcker, 2008: 301;Castro et al, 2008;Parella, 2008).…”