Non-Marital Cohabitation in Italy Christin Löffler ii Universität Rostock Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliche Fakultät Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades doctor rerum politicarum (Dr. rer. pol.) der Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Rostock vorgelegt von Christin Löffler (geb. Schröder), geb. am 12. August 1980 in Parchim Rostock, 31. März 2009 iii Acknowledgements This dissertation project was funded by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock (MPIDR) and by the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. I thank both for giving me the opportunity to carry out this research. For their useful advice and suggestions I am deeply grateful to my supervisors, Professors Laura Bernardi and Peter A. Berger. My work further profited from the highly valuable comments of my colleagues at the MPIDR and in particular from the discussions and remarks offered by the members of the Independent Research Group “Culture of Reproduction.” I also highly appreciate my interviewees’ readiness to share their private experiences and views with me. Without that readiness, this study would not have been possible! For language editing I thank David Harrison. Last but not least, I am very grateful to my husband Falko for his continuous support throughout the last couple of years. iv Table of Contents Index of Tables ...........................................................................................................ix Index of Figures...........................................................................................................x List of Abbreviations...................................................................................................xi Part I Theoretical Considerations Introduction............................................................................................................ - 3 - Chapter 1 Cohabitation in an International Perspective......................................................... - 9 - 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ - 9 - 1.2 Family Development in Europe from 1960 onwards ............................................ - 9 - 1.3 The Evolution of Cohabitation in a European Perspective .............................. - 14 - 1.4 Marriage and Cohabitation in Italy: Strong Regional Variations ..................... - 18 - 1.5 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ - 24 - Chapter 2 Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................ - 27 - 2.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... - 27 - 2.2 Theoretical Considerations on Transition to Cohabitation in Italy ................. - 27 - 2.2.1 Diffusion Theory ............................................................................................................... - 27 - 2.2.2 Europe’s Second Demographic Transition .............................................................................. - 29 - 2.2.3 The Welfare State Approach ............................................................................................... - 31 - 2.2.3.1 The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism ....................................................................... - 31 - 2.2.3.2 Institutional Fragmentation and Clientelism.................................................................... - 33 - 2.2.4 Labor Market Approach ................................................................................................... - 34 - 2.2.5 The Gender Perspective ....................................................................................................... - 36 - 2.2.6 The Role of Family Ties and Religion ................................................................................... - 39 - 2.3 Understanding the Development of Cohabitation in Italy ............................... - 40 - 2.3.1 Italy in the Context of Europe’s Second Demographic Transition ................................................ - 40 - 2.3.2 The Impact of Formal and Informal Institutions ...................................................................... - 43 - 2.3.2.1 Formal Institutions .................................................................................................... - 43 - 2.3.2.2 Informal Institutions ................................................................................................... - 45 - 2.4 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ - 48 - v Part II Empirical Investigations Chapter 3 Research Questions and Research Design ...........................................................- 55 - 3.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... - 55 - 3.2 Research Questions ............................................................................................. - 55 - 3.3 The Mixed-Method Design of the Study ........................................................... - 58 - 3.4 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ - 61 - Chapter 4 Measuring the Impact of Education on Entry into Cohabitation in Italy............- 63 - 4.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... - 63 - 4.2 Hypotheses ........................................................................................................... - 63 - 4.3 Quantitative Research Design and Data ............................................................ - 66 - 4.3.1 Event History Data and Analysis ........................................................................................ - 66 - 4.3.2 Data and Model Description ............................................................................................... - 67 - 4.4 Results .................................................................................................................. - 70 - 4.4.1 Impact of Individual Characteristics ...................................................................................... - 70 - 4.4.1.1 Spread of Informal Unions .......................................................................................... - 70 - 4.4.1.2 Influence of the Employment Situation ............................................................................ - 72 - 4.4.1.3 Late Entry into Cohabitation ....................................................................................... - 72 - 4.4.1.4 Impact of a Woman’s Own Level of Education and Educational Attendance ......................... - 73 - 4.4.2 Impact of Family Background Factors ................................................................................... - 75 - 4.4.2.1 Impact of Parents’ Education ....................................................................................... - 75 - 4.4.2.2 The Opposite Side of the Coin: Impact of Parents’ Education on Direct Marriage ................... - 79 - 4.5 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ - 80 - Chapter 5 Qualitative Research Design: Cohabitation in Two Different Regional Settings - 85 - 5.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... - 85 - 5.2 Qualitative Research Design and Data .............................................................. - 85 - 5.2.1 The Qualitative Approach .................................................................................................. - 85 - 5.2.2 The Settings: Bologna and Cagliari ....................................................................................... - 88 - 5.2.3 Data Collection ................................................................................................................. - 92 - 5.2.4 Sample Description ............................................................................................................- 96 - 5.2.5 Data Analysis .................................................................................................................. - 98 - 5.3 Presentation of Typical Cases for Bologna and Cagliari ................................ - 103 - 5.3.1 Bologna: Eleonora, age 34, cohabiting and childless ................................................................ - 104 - 5.3.2 Cagliari: Patrizia, age 38, cohabiting and childless ................................................................. - 105 - 5.4 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... - 107 - vi Chapter 6 The Transition to and Meaning of Cohabitation................................................- 109 - 6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ - 109 - 6.2 The Transition to Cohabitation ........................................................................ - 110 - 6.2.1 Bologna: Gaining Experiences of Life Separately ................................................................... - 110 - 6.2.2 Cagliari: Gaining Experiences of Life Together ..................................................................... - 112 - 6.2.3 Comparing the Transition