Title: Attitudes towards cohabitation and marriage in Canada.

POPLINE Document Number: 072116

Author(s):

Wu Z
Balakrishnan TR

Source citation:

JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE FAMILY STUDIES, 1992 Spring;23(1):1-12.

Abstract:

Living arrangements of people changed significantly in the 1980s. To greater understand these changes, one must examine how attitudes toward cohabitation and marriage are formed, and what are their correlates. To that end, this paper explores attitudes toward cohabitation and marriage in Canada, focusing upon the structural variables molding these attitudes. In Canada, marriage age has increased over the years accompanied by a compensating increase in the prevalence of cohabitation. 5315 women of all marital statuses in reproductive years 18-49 were interviewed in the random telephone-based 1984 Canadian Fertility Survey. Analysis of the survey reveals that attitudes are significantly related with age, marital status, place of residence and work status, educational attainment, region, religion, religiosity, and the total number of children desired. Place of residence and work status are insignificant in shaping attitudes. Moreover, urbanization has little correlation with the molding of one's views on marriage and cohabitation. Of greater importance are factors associated with rural, small town, or urban environments, including educational attainment, religiosity, and the desired number of children.

Keywords:

Canada
Research Report
Fertility Surveys
Multivariate Analysis
Attitude
Consensual Union
Marriage
Age Factors
Marital Status
Residential Selection
Employment Status
Educational Status
Religion
Family Size, Desired
Changes
North America, Northern
Americas
Developed Countries
Fertility Measurements
Fertility
Population Dynamics
Demographic Factors
Population
Data Analysis
Research Methodology
Psychological Factors
Behavior
Nuptiality
Population Characteristics
Residence Characteristics
Population Distribution
Geographic Factors
Socioeconomic Status
Socioeconomic Factors
Economic Factors
Family Size
Family Characteristics
Family and Household
Social Change