Bibliographies
The following bibliography has been compiled from the Australian Family & Society Abstracts database and other resources held in the Institute's library. Where available a link to the document on the Web is provided. Most items can be borrowed from the Institute's library via the inter library loan system. Online publications in PDF format require Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Updated August 2008
Cohabitation
An update on partnership formation trends: What does the
2006 Census suggest?(2007).
Weston, R., & Qu, L.
Family Relationships Quarterly, (6), 16-19, Online.
Information from the 2006 Census of Population and Housing on trends in couple formation, couple dissolution and overall rates of partnership are discussed. The article looks specifically at rates of marriage and cohabitation, and percentage of men and women living with a partner.
Cohabitation: Level of stability and post-cohabitation
pathways. (2008).
Weston, R., Qu, L., & De Vaus, D.
Threshold, (92), 18-20.
Most Australian marriages are preceded by cohabitation, but not all cohabitation ends in marriage. Drawing chiefly on data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, this article finds that cohabiting relationships tend to be short lived. It considers the stability of cohabitation, who marries and who separates, economic considerations, relationship satisfaction, desire for children, and family type. Although relationship satisfaction is important in predicting marriage and separation, low income and lower educational status increase the likelihood of separation. The female partner' s views on the quality of the relationship and having children appear to be more influential in lowering the risk of separation than those of the male partner.
Cohabitation: What we know. (2008).
Stanley, S.,
Rhoades, G., & Markman, H.
Threshold, (92), 6.
Cohabitation before marriage has been consistently associated with poorer marital communication quality, lower marital satisfaction, higher levels of domestic violence, and greater probability of divorce. This article presents a brief survey of the literature on the association between cohabitation and poorer marital outcomes, known as the ' cohabitation effect'. Two explanations are central to understanding the possible causes of the cohabitation effect: the selection explanation proposes that the cohabitation effect is due to the characteristics of people who cohabit, and the experience explanation suggests that the experience of cohabitation may erode the motivation for, and commitment to, marriage.
Effect of family structure on life satisfaction: Australian
evidence. (2004).
Evans, M., & Kelley, J.
Melbourne, Vic: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social
Research, University of Melbourne, (Melbourne
Institute working paper no.24/04), and Online.
How do family arrangements affect subjective wellbeing? Based on data from a representative national sample of Australia (n=26,009), the pooled International Social Science Surveys / Australia, 1984-2001, this paper investigates the impact of diverse family structures on well being, including the possibility that family structure affects men and women differently. The paper also reviews the main theories linking family structure and well-being and sets out their (conflicting) predictions. The results strongly suggest that marriage makes people happier because the security and legal recognition of a formal marriage makes for committed, loving personal relationships. The practical implications of the importance of commitment are discussed, as are the public policy implications of the findings for tax and welfare policies.
Ex-nuptial children in Australia: An empirical analysis of
nonmarital births. (2005).
de Vaus, D.
Journal of
Family Studies, 11(1), 36-44.
The tight link between childbearing and being married has substantially unraveled in recent decades. This paper documents the extent to which this unraveling has occurred in Australia. It examines current levels of ex-nuptial births and the steep increase in such births. The link between ex-nuptial births on the one hand and maternal age and ethnicity on the other are explored. Accompanying the rise in ex-nuptial births has been a rise in loneparent families. The paper examines the extent to which this rise is due to parental separation and the extent to which it is due to unpartnered mothers having children. The paper also explores whether children born to cohabiting but unmarried parents experience a greater rate of parental separation than do those born to married parents. Data are also provided that suggest that the sharp rise in ex-nuptial births has taken place within a social context in which such births are increasingly accepted. (Journal abstract)
FOCCUS and cohabitation. (2008).
Andrews, M.
Threshold, (92), 21.
The FOCCUS inventory, used in relationship counselling, includes a section with 16 additional statements for cohabiting couples. This article discusses how these statements can prompt conversations between couples that assist them to understand the importance of synchronising their expectations and decision making. Conversations about decision making help avoid the potential for negative outcomes that occur as a consequence of ' sliding not deciding' in transitional stages of relationships.
For better or for worse: An Australian counsellor's perspective on
trends in composition of families. (2006).
Pattenden,
R.
Family Matters, (73), 46-51, and Online.
In the previous edition of Family Matters, Robyn Parker discussed international perspectives on the retreat from marriage, the growth of cohabitation, and whether marriage is valued, concluding with some thoughts on the what the future of marriage might be. In this article the author and Michele Simons were invited to respond to the issues raised in the article by Parker. The author of this article looks at the change in the meaning of marriage and the place it has in people's lives. She reviews the need for in depth Australian research to determine what marriage and cohabitation means to people and how it influences their choices and long term relationships.
Forming couple relationships: Adolescents' aspirations and
young adults' actualities. (2004).
Qu, L., & Soriano, G.
Relatewell, 8(4), 3-7.
Despite the increase in rates of cohabitating couples, young adult men and women are now more likely to live without a partner than they were in the past. This article considers personal and societal implications and economic and social causes of the decline in partnering. It looks at data on adolescents' aspirations about forming a relationship and marriage, young adults' current relationship status, the common perception that finding a suitable partner is hard, and internal and external constraints to finding a suitable partner. The article contains quotations from participants in the 1998 Young Adults Survey.
From cohabitation to marriage: The transitional process of
'becoming married'. (2008).
Dakis, C.
Threshold, (92),
22-26.
Australian statistics for 2005 show that 76 per cent of couples cohabit before they marry, and it is estimated that about 12 per cent of couples in Australia are choosing cohabitation as an alternative to marriage. This article reports the results of a recent study in which participants who had cohabited before marrying explored the meaning and significance of both cohabitation and marriage. Marriage was described as a way of being, a form of relationship that incorporates an extra dimension to differentiate it from the pragmatic motivations for cohabitation.
Implications for marriage education. (2008).
Stanley,
S., Rhoades, G., & Markman, H.
Threshold, (92),
12-13.
The implications of research into the cohabitation effect on relationship education and counselling are discussed. The article considers cohabiting and the selection perspective as a risk factor for divorce, the experience perspective and commitment to marriage, and relationship inertia.
Marriages, Australia, 2006. (2007).
Australian
Bureau of Statistics.
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of
Statistics, (ABS catalogue no. 3306.0.55.001), Online.
Information on marriages registered in Australia during the 2006 calendar year is presented. The report covers the number of registered marriages, the crude marriage rate, median age at marriage, age specific marriage rates, previous marital status, cohabitation before marriage, marriages performed by civil celebrants and by ministers of religion, country of birth, and international comparison.
Pathways from
cohabitation. (2005).
Weston, R., Qu, L., & De Vaus,
D.
In: HILDA Survey Research Conference 2005: Papers.
Parkville,
Vic: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research,
University of Melbourne, Online.
This study seeks to identify the factors that discriminate between cohabiting couples who choose to marry, those who choose to separate, and those who continue to cohabit. Three waves of HILDA data are used to explore the characteristics of those who follow these different pathways. These data may help explain why many cohabitors marry in an era when cohabitation is common and on the rise, and when children are increasingly born outside marriages. There is also a voluminous literature on divorce, but a patchy and scant literature on cohabiting relationships that break down. (Author abstract)
Perspectives on the future of marriage. (2005).
Parker,
R.
Family Matters, (72), 78-82, and Online.
With marriage rates falling and cohabitation rising in many Western societies, there are concerns in some quarters that the future of marriage is bleak. What lies beneath these trends, and what are the implications for the institution of marriage? In this article the author discusses some of the current international thinking, and outlines the explanations for the trends offered by researchers and scholars and their views on the ways in which some of the patterns could play out in the long term.
Perspectives on the future of marriage. (2006).
Parker, R.
Relatewell, 10(1), 7, 12-15.
Trends in family formation and dissolution, and political and policy related discussions about the state of the family and marriage in several countries, are considered. The article discusses the decline in marriage and the rise in cohabitation in western Europe, the United States and Australia. It considers the future of marriage and challenges the notion that marriage is undervalued.
(Re)-forming marriage in Australia? (2006).
Simons,
M.
Family Matters, (73), 46-51, and Online.
In the previous edition of Family Matters, Robyn Parker discussed international perspectives on the retreat from marriage, the growth of cohabitation, and whether marriage is valued, concluding with some thoughts on the future of marriage. In this article the author and Rosalie Pattenden were invited to respond to the issues raised in the article by Parker. The author of this article offers some points of discussion to inform further debate on the future of marriage and family life in Australia. She concludes that marriage and family life are becoming more complex social phenomena as individuals seek to develop meaningful intimate relationships in the midst of social and economic change and at a time when individual rights and freedom of choice are important cultural values.
Re romanticise courtship. (2008).
Kerin, T.
Threshold, (92), 28-29.
Traditional courtship allowed couples to determine whether they were suited for marriage. Cohabitation commonly serves that purpose today, but it differs in many ways. The formal milestones of courtship, which may have served to synchronise the couple's expectations, are lacking in cohabitation, and the couple may not communicate well about their relationship. Premature immersion in the drudgery of domestic chores suppresses the romance of a relationship and diminishes the opportunities of talking about the relationship and each other's expectations.
Taking the
first step: Building a stronger, healthier relationship. (2007).
Canberra, ACT: Department of Families, Community Services and
Indigenous Affairs, and Online (booklet only).
This DVD and booklet offer advice for new couples. It discusses relationship skills, and includes suggestions on time management, setting expectations and priorities, sharing housework, dealing with conflict, the decision to have children, budgeting, moving in together, getting married, infidelity, and unexpected crises.
The changing meaning of 'de facto' relationships. (2006)
Millbank, J.
Current Family Law, 12(2), 82-93.
The meaning of 'de facto relationship' has changed dramatically in Australian law in recent years. The most obvious changes are the raft of legislative reforms including same sex couples as de facto couples in a wide array of state laws through 1999 - 2004. Additionally, an examination of recent case law reveals notable changes to the definition of 'de facto relationship' through judicial interpretation, with a distinct trend towards a broader, more flexible interpretation of the de facto category, a less formalistic approach to the indicia of cohabitation, and a lesser focus on the traditional hallmarks that are thought to be 'marriage like', such as public reputation, mingled finances and putative monogamy. These cases are important signposts, as the Family Court will soon be grappling with questions around de facto relationships, including how to determine the existence and duration of a relationship. (Journal abstract)
Trends in couple formation. (2006).
Weston, R., &
Qu, L.
Family Relationships Quarterly, (1), 12-15, Online only.
Trends in couple formation over the last 100 years, including marriage and de facto relationships and overall partnering rates, are outlined. The article presents results for men and women, and also comments on remarriage rates.
Trial marriage: Is premarital cohabitation an effective risk
minimisation strategy for marriage breakdown? (2006).
Hewitt,
B.
In: C .Hopkinson, & C. Hall. (eds.) Social Change in the
21st Century 2006 Conference proceedings.
Brisbane, Qld: Centre for
Social Change Research, Queensland University of Technology, Online.
In Australia, the proportion of marriages preceded by cohabitation has risen from 30 percent in the 1980s to around 75 percent in 2003. Sociological theories of the family propose that the increasing rate of cohabitation is, at least in part, a risk management strategy in response to the perceived risk of divorce. In a social climate where marriage is no longer guaranteed for life, cohabitation offers the opportunity for a 'trial marriage', which should, in theory, reduce the likelihood of marriage breakdown . In this paper the author questions the effectiveness of cohabitation as a divorce risk minimisation strategy? Evidence suggests that cohabitation increases the risk of marriage breakdown rather than minimising it. There are some studies that provide evidence that the increased risk of divorce, when a couple cohabits prior to marriage, is smaller for younger cohorts than for older cohorts. These results suggest that the increased likelihood of divorce with premarital cohabitation is diminishing over time, lending some support to the hypothesis that cohabitation does reduce the risk of divorce. In this paper the author investigates these issues further using retrospective life course data from Wave 1 of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey (HILDA). (Author abstract, edited)
What is commitment? How married and cohabiting parents talk about their
relationships. (2005).
Pryor, J., & Roberts, J.
Family
Matters, (71), 24-31, and Online.
In this article the authors discuss the findings of a small qualitative New Zealand study that examined the accounts of married and cohabiting parents about their views of relationship commitment. The authors asked couples to describe the concept of commitment, their experiences of commitment as partners and parents, why they had chosen to marry or not marry, and barriers to leaving their relationships.
Who cohabits in 2001? The significance of age, gender,
religion and ethnicity. (2004).
Dempsey, K., & de Vaus, D.
Journal of Sociology, 40(2), 157-178.
In this article the authors report on the growth in rates of cohabiting as opposed to marriage occurring in Australia over the last decade. They examine the relationship between cohabiting and the key demographic and social factors of age, gender, religion and ethnicity. The main data sources are the findings of the 1996 and 2001 Censuses. It is argued that the spectacular growth in cohabiting in Western countries generally is linked to technological developments that allow the separation of sex and reproduction, the growth in employment opportunities for women, the declining influence of organized religion, and the growth in individualism. The authors state they are aware of the limitations of census data for understanding social and cultural processes but nevertheless argue that engaging in this type of analysis facilitates understanding issues that have significant policy as well as personal implications. These include comprehending why cohabiting relationships are less stable than marriages and what contribution, if any, cohabiting makes to falling fertility rates. (Journal abstract)