The increase in cohabitation and the role of marital status in family policies: a comparison of 12 European countries
The increase in cohabitation and the role of marital status in family policies: a comparison of 12 European countries
The role of marital status is seldom considered in welfare state research. This perspective however is important, since many welfare state policies focus on the married and do not apply to unmarried cohabitants. This may render them vulnerable in moments when state support is needed. Since cohabitation levels are increasing across Europe, understanding the role of marital status in welfare state policies becomes increasingly important. By analysing data from the European Social Survey and a self-constructed policy database, we answer three questions: 1) How many couples live in cohabiting unions across 12 European countries today? 2) Which rights do they have in different policy areas? 3) How many couples, therefore, are covered or fall outside the scope of policies in their country? We find that cohabitation is often, but not always, more strongly regulated in countries with high cohabitation levels, leaving more cohabitants legally unprotected in some countries than in others.
cohabitation, policies, welfare states, europe, marital status
ESRC Centre for Population Change
Sanchez Gassen, Nora
ac0ff73a-9168-4d5f-b718-36cc931b6ed6
Perelli-Harris, Brienna
9d3d6b25-d710-480b-8677-534d58ebe9ed
20 June 2014
Sanchez Gassen, Nora
ac0ff73a-9168-4d5f-b718-36cc931b6ed6
Perelli-Harris, Brienna
9d3d6b25-d710-480b-8677-534d58ebe9ed
Sanchez Gassen, Nora and Perelli-Harris, Brienna
(2014)
The increase in cohabitation and the role of marital status in family policies: a comparison of 12 European countries
(ESRC Centre for Population Change Working Paper Series, 52)
Southampton, GB.
ESRC Centre for Population Change
28pp.
Record type:
Monograph
(Working Paper)
Abstract
The role of marital status is seldom considered in welfare state research. This perspective however is important, since many welfare state policies focus on the married and do not apply to unmarried cohabitants. This may render them vulnerable in moments when state support is needed. Since cohabitation levels are increasing across Europe, understanding the role of marital status in welfare state policies becomes increasingly important. By analysing data from the European Social Survey and a self-constructed policy database, we answer three questions: 1) How many couples live in cohabiting unions across 12 European countries today? 2) Which rights do they have in different policy areas? 3) How many couples, therefore, are covered or fall outside the scope of policies in their country? We find that cohabitation is often, but not always, more strongly regulated in countries with high cohabitation levels, leaving more cohabitants legally unprotected in some countries than in others.
Text
WP52_2014_The_increase_in_cohabitation_ and_the_role_of_marital_status_in_family_policies_Sanchez-Gassen_et_al.pdf
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Published date: 20 June 2014
Keywords:
cohabitation, policies, welfare states, europe, marital status
Organisations:
Social Statistics & Demography, Centre for Population Change
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 366044
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/366044
PURE UUID: 5f0ec9a6-9966-484f-8b8d-91623271eebe
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Date deposited: 24 Jun 2014 09:12
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:38
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Author:
Nora Sanchez Gassen
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