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The variability of age at first marriage has implications for the destandardisation of life course and the deinstitutionalisation of the marriage institution. Previous studies, based on Western societies, suggest a more dispersed variability in recent cohorts. However, despite the rise in women’s education, the universal ideology of formal marriage, the powerful link between formal marriage and childbearing, and collectivism in East Asian societies may constrain variability in marriage timing. Also, women with different levels of education experience different life course sequences and interactions with marriage, leading to heterogeneous changes in the variability of age at first marriage. Using the Women’s Marriage, Fertility, and Employment Survey in Taiwan, this article presents a representative case of changing marriage and childbearing behaviours in East Asia. Our results show that the variability among women without a high school degree has become more dispersed in more recent birth cohorts. In contrast, variability of age at first marriage among highly educated women has remained consistent. The educational differences became more salient in recent cohorts, especially in women born after 1960. Our findings contribute to the literature on how the life course and the institution of marriage have diverged across education levels over birth cohorts in East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the patterns of educational attainment and first employment among young Japanese, and their effects on the likelihood of first marriage, using micro-level data drawn from a national family survey in 2004 and its follow-up in 2007. Attainment of higher education increased dramatically in postwar Japan, and such gains were especially notable for women. Meanwhile, regular employment has decreased, and temporary employment has risen rapidly among young Japanese since the 1990s. The study reveals that obtaining regular employment as the first job strongly enhances the likelihood of first marriage for both genders although the marriage-enhancing effect is stronger for men than for women. First entry to the labor market as a temporary worker also significantly diminishes the likelihood of first marriage for men. Like other industrialized economies in Asia, improving educational attainment is found to be a factor causing declining first marriage among young Japanese women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has implemented the universal two-child policy to promote fertility whereas the trends of later marriage and childbearing still prevail. The marriage timing of young adults has received considerable attention. However, studies tailored to the Chinese context remain limited. Using data from the China Labor-force Dynamic Survey 2016, we established bivariate and multinomial logistic regression discrete-time event-history models to examine the influence of parental educational attainment on their children's first marriages. Not only the effects of parental education on their children's likelihood of entry to first marriages and marriage postponement but also changes in these effects by sex, region, and across birth cohorts and the individual life course were analyzed. In general, there was a significantly positive relationship between parents' educational attainment and the likelihood of their children's entry into first marriages. However, it couldn't explain variations about the timing of first marriages or marriage postponement. Analyses of subsamples revealed considerable heterogeneity in the effects of parental educational attainment by sex and region. These findings reveal the influence of childhood family background factors on marriage behaviors and provide a basis for predicting future marriage and childbearing trends in China. This study provides meaningful inputs and a rationale for amending the minimum legal marriageable age and for promoting marriage and births within Chinese marriage law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I examine the implications of a modern psychological theory of values for the Second Demographic Transition (SDT). The SDT derives its values theory and measurement from Maslow, who noted that resource-rich environments cause value shifts towards personal-focused growth values. However, Maslow has been replaced by the theory of basic human values (TBHV) which distinguishes person and social-focused growth values. This distinction has two important implications for the SDT. First, some individualistic and self-expressive values identified by the SDT are not growth but basic need motivated and therefore functions of resource-poor environments. Second, the TBHV values on interdependence and independence are strongly influenced by gender and reflect preferences for family and care or career. Therefore, these values can be used to address critiques of the SDT based on the stalled gender revolution. I show that distinguishing values as described in the TBHV can be useful for the SDT. I find that benevolence (interdependence) is positively and openness to change (autonomy/stimulation) is negatively related to marriage in the Netherlands using longitudinal panel data and discrete event history models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plain Language summary Raising the median age of their first heterosexual intercourse, or first sex, and marriage for females is a policy goal of the Ethiopian government. Research in Africa has found evidence of a positive association between higher levels of completed schooling and older ages at first sex and marriage among females. A substantial body of research conducted in the United States shows that youth who develop high educational and occupational expectations at young ages also tend to delay first sex and marriage. High expectations motivate youth to stay in school longer and avoid behaviors, such as early sex and marriage, that put their goals at risk. Evidence of a similar association in Ethiopia, however, has been lacking because of the scarcity of longitudinal data. In this study, we used data from the Jimma Longitudinal Family Survey of Youth conducted in southwestern Ethiopia to examine the impact of early career expectations and marriage plans on the risk of first sex during adolescence among male and female youth and on the risk of first marriage during adolescence among females. Using discrete-time logistic hazard regression models, we found that adolescents who had high career expectations at ages 13–17 were significantly less likely to have their first sexual intercourse over the following four years. We also found that the protective effects of being in school on delaying first sex wore off with time, but the effect of high career expectations persisted. Finally, we found that parents’ desire for an older age at marriage for their daughters had a significant delaying effect on daughter’s marriage.

Divorces have become common, but reliable longer-run historical data with several years of follow-up are scarce. This study investigates divorce trends and divorce risk based on prospective data for all Norwegian different-sex marriages formed from 1886–2018, with yearly follow-up continuing until 60 years after the wedding (N = 2.7 million). First marriages and remarriages are investigated separately, as are marriages in rural and urban areas. The results indicate a general decline in divorce risk, but not in rural areas. The previously suggested impacts of age-at-marriage and remarriage on divorce risk are questioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Raising the median age at first sexual intercourse and first marriage among females is a policy goal of the Ethiopian government. Education figures prominently in the government's plans for achieving its goals, including primary and secondary schools; higher education; and out-of-school interventions such as youth centers, peer clubs, and youth associations In this study, we tested whether adolescents and youth who had high educational and occupational expectations at younger ages were at a lower risk of first sexual intercourse and marriage during adolescence and early adulthood. Methods: Data came from multiple waves of a longitudinal survey of households and adolescents conducted in southwestern Ethiopia. A measure of career expectations was created from educational and occupational expectations measured at baseline when the adolescents were ages 13–17. The occurrence and timing of first sexual intercourse (called first sex) and marriage were measured four years later in a wave 3 survey. Discrete-time logistic hazard regression models were applied to a person-year file to predict first sex for males and females separately and first marriage for females. Results: Male and female adolescents who had high career expectations at young ages were at a significantly lower risk of first sex during adolescence and early adulthood. Unlike the delaying effect of being in school, the effect of high career expectations did not wear off as adolescents aged. Among female adolescents, delaying first sex, staying in school, and having parents who desired them to marry at older ages were all associated with a significantly lower risk of marriage during adolescence and early adulthood. Conclusions: The educational and occupational expectations and family plans that youth develop early in adolescence influence the timing of the transition into sexual activity and marriage. Ethiopian youth who develop high career expectations delay first sex, which for female youth is a key predictor of age at first marriage. Adolescents' perceptions of parents' expectations for them are strongly associated with their own expectations and behavior. Plain Language summary: Raising the median age of their first heterosexual intercourse, or first sex, and marriage for females is a policy goal of the Ethiopian government. Research in Africa has found evidence of a positive association between higher levels of completed schooling and older ages at first sex and marriage among females. A substantial body of research conducted in the United States shows that youth who develop high educational and occupational expectations at young ages also tend to delay first sex and marriage. High expectations motivate youth to stay in school longer and avoid behaviors, such as early sex and marriage, that put their goals at risk. Evidence of a similar association in Ethiopia, however, has been lacking because of the scarcity of longitudinal data. In this study, we used data from the Jimma Longitudinal Family Survey of Youth conducted in southwestern Ethiopia to examine the impact of early career expectations and marriage plans on the risk of first sex during adolescence among male and female youth and on the risk of first marriage during adolescence among females. Using discrete-time logistic hazard regression models, we found that adolescents who had high career expectations at ages 13–17 were significantly less likely to have their first sexual intercourse over the following four years. We also found that the protective effects of being in school on delaying first sex wore off with time, but the effect of high career expectations persisted. Finally, we found that parents' desire for an older age at marriage for their daughters had a significant delaying effect on daughter's marriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Girls’ school participation has expanded considerably in the developing world over the last few decades, a phenomenon expected to have substantial consequences for reproductive behaviour. Using Demographic and Health Survey data from 43 countries, this paper examines trends and differentials in the mean ages at three critical life-cycle events for young women: first sexual intercourse, first marriage, and first birth. We measure the extent to which trends in the timing of these events are driven either by the changing educational composition of populations or by changes in behaviour within education groups. Mean ages have risen over time in all regions for all three events, except age at first sex in Latin America and the Caribbean. Results from a decomposition exercise indicate that increases in educational attainment, rather than trends within education groups, are primarily responsible for the overall trends. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Many single adult children in countries around the world live with their parents. Such coresidence has been thought to delay the transition to first marriage, although the exact reasons for the delay have not been sufficiently examined. Using panel data from Japan, we investigate whether changes in never-married adults' residential status lead to alterations in their marital aspirations, courtship behaviors, romantic opportunities, and perceived obstacles to marrying. Our estimation of fixed-effects models helps address potential bias caused by single individuals' selection into living in the parental home. The analysis indicates that living with parents is associated with a lower probability of forming romantic relationships, thereby decelerating the transition to first marriage. The never-married, however, do not desire marriage less, put less effort into finding romantic partners, or have fewer opportunities to meet potential partners when coresiding with parents. Overall, the findings suggest that living in the parental home increases never-married men's contentment with their immediate social environment, whereas it decreases women's psychological readiness to transition into adult roles, making both men and women less eager to settle into a romantic relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Este trabalho apresenta um estudo sobre as idades à primeira relação sexual, ao primeiro casamento e ao nascimento do primeiro filho de mulheres brancas e negras, de 20 a 29 anos e 50 a 59 anos, em Belo Horizonte. Os objetivos centrais são: verificar as mudanças ocorridas nas idades à primeira relação sexual, ao primeiro casamento e ao nascimento do primeiro filho; e analisar se as diferenças constatadas são mais evidentes quando se considera a coorte de nascimento ou a raça/cor das mulheres. Os dados provêm da pesquisa Saúde Reprodutiva, Sexualidade e Raça/Cor (SRSR), realizada pelo Cedeplar em 2002. A metodologia baseia-se em curvas de sobrevivência, obtidas pelo estimador de Kaplan-Meier e comparadas através do teste log-rank.Comparing the Ages at First Intercourse, First Union and First Childbirth of Two Cohorts of White and Mixed-race Females in Belo Horizonte, Brazil: Quantitative Indications This paper investigates the ages at first sexual intercourse, first marriage and first childbirth of white and mixed-race (black + brown) females, in the age groups of 20 to 29 and 50 to 59, in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 2002. The objectives are twofold. The first aim is to verify the changes in the age at first sexual intercourse, first marriage and first childbirth. The second is to investigate the role of birth cohort and ethnic group /skin color in the differences seen. The data was taken from the survey entitled "Reproductive Health, Sexuality and Color/Ethnic Group [Saúde Reprodutiva, Sexualidade e Raça/Cor]" (SRSR), conducted by Cedeplar in 2002. The methodology is based on survival curves, obtained by Kaplan-Meier estimates, and compared by log-rank tests.

The objective of this paper was to investigate factors associated with time to first birth after first marriage among women in Uganda. The assessment was made using data sourced from the 2011 Uganda Demographic and Health survey. The analysis was done using a time-toevent approach involving life tables, log-rank and the Cox Proportional Hazards model. In the results, the median time to first birth after first marriage was 2 years (range, 1-36). The key predictors of having a live birth after first marriage were loss of a pregnancy either spontaneously or induced, knowledge of ovulation cycle and late sexual debut (p < 0.05). In particular, the chances of first birth after first marriage were lower among women who had ever lost a pregnancy and women having their sexual intercourse at a later age. On the contrary, the chances of having a first child after marriage were higher among women at higher ages at first marriage and those who were aware of their ovulation cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Racial/ethnic differences in family formation are well-documented and scholars have often pointed to both structural and ideational factors to explain them. Yet, investigations into the role that ideational differences play have been sparse and limited in numerous ways. Using NLSY79 data, this study investigates whether variations in family formation expectations and preferences explain racial/ethnic differences in family formation outcomes for the occurrence, timing, and sequencing of first marriage and first birth. Significant differences in family formation outcomes, expectations, and preferences are found across race/ethnicity. Expectations and preferences explain as much as 17% of racial/ethnic differences in family formation behavior, although typically they explain 10%, and in the case of nonmarital childbearing, less than 3% of the variation. The limited predictive power of expectations and preferences for racial/ethnic differences is the result of statistically significant yet substantively small differences and substantial incongruence between expectations, preferences and outcomes, especially for Blacks and Hispanics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timing of marriage has a various socioeconomic and demographic implications. In a non-contraceptive society entry into marriage at an early age increases the number of children a woman would have at the end of her reproductive life while the reverse is true for those entering late. Evolutionary theory supposes that women are ultimately attracted into a conjugal union for purposes of reproducing, whilst modernization theory argues that education and employment opportunities for women cause them to delay the timing of marriage. The objective of this study was to identify determinants of age at first marriage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is based on socioeconomic and demographic data obtained from 2976 women of reproductive age (i.e. 15-49 years) residing in the city of Addis Ababa in 2003. The findings of the study revealed that, engaging in marital life in this city was mainly a function of the economic situation of couples. There is shortage of "economically attractive" men to satisfy the demand of women looking for marriage partners. The high unemployment rate and increased cost of living in the city had tended to delay the timing offamily formation in Addis Ababa. However, educated women, though delaying their marriage for the purposes of pursuing their education goal, had a better chance of getting married. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study comparatively examined patterns of uncertainty and topic avoidance within marriage relationships focusing on both individuals in first marriages and remarriages. Ninety-nine participants in first marriages and 76 participants in remarriages completed a survey measuring uncertainty and topic avoidance in their marriages. Analysis revealed people in remarriages have higher uncertainty than those in first marriages, but engage in topic avoidance at similar levels to those in first marriages. Uncertainty was a significant predictor of topic avoidance for those in both first marriages and remarriages. Implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines a diverse sample of married individuals (N = 1,542) in the context of couple and relationship education (CRE). Differences and similarities in participant well-being at baseline and overtime were examined among individuals in first marriages—with and without children from previous relationships—and various types of remarriages utilizing measures of individual, couple, and parental functioning. Additionally, we examined how the content of CRE classes influences change scores of stepfamily couples based on whether they received stepfamily-specific content or generalized CRE. Results indicate that individuals in first marriages and those in different types of remarriages appear to report similar levels of marital functioning initially and appear to benefit similarly from CRE classes. Stepfamily couples appear to benefit similarly from stepfamily-specific and generalized CRE classes, yet differences between the groups are considered in the interpretation of this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of this research was to compare partnership stability - particularly the stability of first marriage - between Hungary and Hungarian speaking people living in Transylvania being the Western region of Romania. The data come from two surveys: first we utilized the second wave of Hungarian panel survey titled "Turning Points of the Life Course" carried out in 2004/2005; secondly we used the same questionnaire as applied in Transylvania in 2006. There are statistically significant differences between the proportion of dissolved marriages in the two samples: it was 18% in Hungary and 7% in Transylvania. The risk of divorce was analysed by event history analysis. In Hungary and also in Transylvania the risk of divorce is affected by the number of common children and religiosity: marriages without child(ren) and where the couple is not religious are more often broken up, than those having one or more children and/or being religious. The negative effect of parental divorce, marriage in very young ages and cohabitation before the marriage was found only in Hungary only, while the calendar period-effect was experienced in Transylvania only. In Transylvania the Hungarian-Romanian marriages were much less stable than marriages in other ethnic composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social background has historically been recognized as a major factor influencing family behavior, though recent work has largely emphasized racial/ethnic influences. Here we use 1994 – 1995 and 2001 – 2002 Add Health data to examine the cohabitation, first marriage, and first birth experience of young women. In a multistate life table context, hypothetical cohorts specified in terms of race and mother’s education are followed, from age 11 to age 24, as they move through 6 family-related statuses. The results indicate that, for both Black and White women, a higher level of maternal education is generally associated with less cohabitation, less marriage, fewer first births, and a higher percentage of women who experience none of those transitions before age 24. Racial and social background differences are conceptually and empirically distinct. Because mother’s education is associated with substantially different trajectories of early family behavior for both Blacks and Whites, we argue that social background merits increased attention in research on contemporary American family patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1990s the fertility and nuptiality behaviour of Czech women has changed substantially. Both the sharp decline in fertility and nuptiality levels and the postponement of family formation until higher ages have been extensively analysed. One of the most noticeable trends was the increase in the proportion of non-marital childbirths. It is however still not clear what proportion of unmarried mothers is cohabiting and how many of them are living alone. Until recently, there has not been conducted any systematic research on family situation of new mothers in the Czech Republic. In an attempt to estimate the extent of cohabitation and lone motherhood, their increase during last two decades, and the relationship to woman's education, we use statistic records of births and marriages of the Czech Statistical Office, linked according to the unique ID# of woman, to analyse the behaviour of mothers before and after first childbirth and to estimate the prevalence of mother's family status during childbirth (childbirth in marriage -- with/without premarital conception, birth in cohabitation -- premarital or permanent, and lone motherhood) and its change over two periods (1991-96 vs. 2001-06). The increase of proportion of non-marital births in last two decades was counterbalanced especially by the decrease of premarital conceptions: Contrary to the past, when pregnancy was a strong impetus to marry promptly before birth delivery, pregnant single women now tend to stay single. About half of these mothers then experience neither marriage nor second childbirth until next six years, and they are considered as lone mothers. Other quarter marry after childbirth, while last quarter bear also second child without entering marriage. The main finding of this paper is that wide differences exist between educational categories of women. While primary educated mothers tend to be lone or to cohabit even after second childbirth, higher educated women mostly conceive and even concept their first child traditionally after marriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing literature on welfare effects on marriage and fertility has largely focused on groups of white and black women. By contrast, Hispanic women have received little attention. This paper examines the effects of welfare generosity on a sample of young Hispanic women’s premarital fertility and marriage choices. A bivariate competing risks duration model framework allows us to identify the process of young women’s premarital fertility and the process of marriage, effectively controlling for observed characteristics and unobservables. Our findings indicate a 10% increase in welfare generosity results in a 10% increase in premarital births and a 7% decrease in marriages by age 24; both effects are significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using survey data from a nationally representative sample, this article explores how marriage timing varies across major religious denominations. Survival analysis indicates that net of statistical controls, Catholics, moderate Protestants, conservative Protestants, and Mormons marry significantly earlier than their unaffiliated counterparts. This holds true for women and men. However, no statistical differences emerge between Jews, liberal Protestants, and the unaffiliated. As surmised, auxiliary statistical tests reveal additional religious subcultural variations: (a) Jews tend to marry later than Catholics, conservative Protestants, and Mormons; (b) Catholics also marry later than conservative Protestants and Mormons; (c) no statistical difference surfaces between Mormons and conservative Protestants; and (d) differences between Catholics and liberal Protestants as well as between Jews and liberal Protestants are statistically negligible. These findings systematically support the denominational subcultural paradigm in the case of marriage timing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the stability of remarriages as compared to the first marriages. the data used for the analysis was collected from samples of marriage and divorce certificates collected by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The items on marriage and divorce certificates which were used in this analysis were state of marriage and divorce, date of marriage and divorce, age or date of birth of the husband/wife, and the number of marriages of the husband/wife. The findings regarding divorce rates for remarried people were predominantly influenced by the behavior of divorced men and women. Analyzing divorce rates for selected years of marriage showed that the relative risks of divorce among the different combinations of marriage order shifted as the years passed. Examining divorce rates within age groups showed that, in general, women of any given age at marriage who were married for the first time divorced significantly less frequently than those who were remarried.