Zeitschriftenartikel

Cohabitation in Italy: do parents matter?

Abstract

Over the last two decades, Europe has witnessed the spreading of a new phenomenon: cohabitation. Whereas this modern living arrangement has become relatively widespread in most European countries, it has been rather hesitant in developing in Italy. The welfare state structure of this country, a high rate of unemployment, and tight housing is hampering the diffusion of cohabitation. Researchers so far have assumed that traditionally strong family ties between parents and their adult children have been responsible for the slow spread of extramarital unions. Our research, however, produces different results: There is evidence that the educational degree of the mother influences to a large extent the transition to cohabitation of women in Italy. Using the Indagine longitudinale sulle famiglie italiane (ILFI) of 1997 and 1999, we estimate multiplicative intensity models for the transition to (i) cohabitation as first relationship and (ii) direct marriage of women in Italy.