‘Commitment and the changing sequence of cohabitation, childbearing, and marriage’
In the United Kingdom, standard, traditional sequences of family events have been replaced by a de-standardized life course; marriage is postponed and no longer necessary for childbearing; unmarried cohabitation has increased. New sequencing raises questions about the meaning of cohabitation and marriage in peoples’ lives. This paper analyses data collected within a series of focus groups conducted in the UK. It asks whether the new sequencing of life events implies a shift in commitment in cohabitation, potentially giving rise to new expressions of commitment and understandings of cohabitation. We find that personal commitment is similar in cohabiting and marital relationships, but that marriage is perceived to embody greater moral and structural commitment. Public displays of commitment are increasingly occurring in other ways, such as childbearing and joint mortgages. Although commitment often grows over time, this progression is not necessarily talked about in relation to the timing of childbearing. We conclude that commitment levels are no longer ascribed solely by union type, but rather by other life events and the couple’s own perceived level of commitment.
Date: 5 November 2015, 14:00 (Thursday, 4th week, Michaelmas 2015)
Venue: 66 Banbury Road (Wolsey Hall), 66 Banbury Road OX2 6PR
Venue Details: Seminar Room at 66 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6PR
Speaker: Professor Ann Berrington (ESRC Centre for Population Change, University of Southampton)
Organising department: Oxford Institute of Ageing
Organiser: Emilie Walton (Institute Administrator, Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address: administrator@ageing.ox.ac.uk
Host: Professor Sarah Harper (Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, University of Oxford)
Part of: ‘Narratives on Marriage and Co-Habitation’
Topics:
Booking required?: Not required
Audience: Public
Editor: Emilie Walton