In South Africa non-marital cohabitation rates among Africans remain low, and particularly in the context of very low marriage rates. Through qualitative interviews with urban isiZulu-speakers we explore attitudes towards ukukipita (cohabiting) in contemporary Zulu society. These in-depth interviews capture the meanings associated with non-marital cohabitation and they provide insights into why cohabitation is widely viewed as unacceptable in Zulu society unless the man has initiated ilobolo (bridewealth) negotiations and concrete marriage plans are in place. Cohabitation without ilobolo payment is widely interpreted as akin to behaving disrespectfully towards Zulu culture and tradition, the immediate family and the Zulu community more broadly.
In Ukraine, the increasing share of children born out of marriage during the fi rst two decades of our country independence was in line with European trends and became consequence of the intensifi cation of the modernization process of many spheres of public life. In Ukraine, every fi ft h child is born out of wedlock, and this indicator is one of the lowest among European countries. Th ere are signifi cant diff erences in the prevalence of illegitimate births within the country between regions and settlements of diff erent types. Th e purpose of our study is comprehensive analysis of the peculiarities of childbearing out of marriage in the metropolises of Ukraine, its dynamics and structural characteristics. An in-depth analysis of illemethods are comparison, graphical presentation of analysis results, generalization methods, analogies. Lviv is a city with pronounced traditional matrimonial behavior and more strong preferences for classical family values and has the lowest share of children born out of marriage. Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Odesa are characterized by the relatively high level of out-ofwedlock births that can most likely be explained by more intensive demographic modernization and transformation. Th e decrease in the proportion of illegitimate births among all births is the general trend in the cities of Ukraine. In metropolises of our country the share of children born out of marriage is much lower than in the oblast of their location and other urban areas; except for Lviv, where the difference between the indicators is minimal. Compared to other settlements, the metropolises are characterized by smaller share of the youngest women among mothers who were not married at the childbearing moment and higher share of women 35 years and older. Metropolises have the same age profi le of the proportion of illegitimate births as other territories: the illegitimate births are the most common among women under 20 years of age, women of 25-29 years have the lowest share; among the women 30 years and older the share of births out of marriage gradually increases, but remains much lower than that for youngest mothers. Th e mean age of mother at the birth of child out of marriage is usually lower than similar indicator that takes into account all births. Th e mean age of mother at the birth of child out of marriage in the metropolises signifi cantly exceeds the corresponding indicators in the area of their location and in Ukraine as a whole. Structural diff erences in out-of-wedlock births refl ect changes in its factors in favor of "desired" motherhood.
This study used the 1979 cohort of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (N = 3,481) to test whether the association between marital quality and divorce is moderated by premarital cohabitation or nonmarital childbearing status. Prior research identified lower marital quality as a key explanation for why couples who cohabit or have children before marrying are more likely to divorce than other couples. Using event history and fixed‐effects models, we found that the effect of marital quality on divorce is similar for cohabitors and noncohabitors, with cohabitors more likely to end both high‐ and low‐quality marriages. In contrast, the relationship between marital quality and divorce is weaker for women with nonmarital births; they are less likely than others to dissolve low‐quality marriages. We discuss how commitment norms and self‐efficacy might explain these differences in the association between marital quality and divorce.
SummaryIn this paper, non-marital pregnancies are defined as the sum of ex-nuptial confinements and the first nuptial confinements delivered within the first 8 months of marriage. Analysis is based on the annual statistics of live births, marriages and female non-married population as enumerated in the 1947–71 censuses. The incidence of non-marital pregnancies increased significantly in Australia between 1947 and 1971. This was found to be mainly due to rising ex-nuptial fertility rates, and, to a much lesser extent, to increased frequency of pre-marital pregnancies. A lesser proportion of pregnant non-married women were married before delivery in 1971 than in 1947. Some of the social implications are discussed.
In light of the negative social and legal consequences they might face, women in Muslim majority countries who enter into an intimate relationship without concluding a state-registered marriage are often considered victims of unscrupulous men. Usually this refers to unregistered'urfi(religious-only) marriages, as very little attention is paid to women engaging in cohabitation. Whereas non-marriage is generally framed as 'waithood' (the inability to marry) and hence as a negative choice, some women in Tunis opt for cohabitation, as they expect this to positively influence their relationship and potential future marriage as more equal and honest. These women express an ethical stance that does not fit society's dominant normative framework and present themselves as liberal secular Tunisians. They take an ambivalent position on state-registered marriage, as they are critical of how Tunisian marriages are currently lived, but they do recognize the value of registration. Their rejection of'urfimarriage as against the law, gender unequal, and Salafi-inspired confirms their liberal secular sense of personhood.
