Structural changes or individual preferences? A study of unmarried cohabitation in Estonia
Date
2010-09-22
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Abstract
Doktoriväitekiri keskendub vaba kooselu laienemise protsessi analüüsile Eesti ühiskonnas. Väitekiri koosneb ülevaatepeatükist ja kolmest eelretsenseeritavas rahvusvahelises teadusajakirjas avaldatud artiklist. Artiklites otsitakse vastust küsimustele, milline on vaba kooselu levik Euroopa riikides ja kuivõrd toimub kooselumustrite sarnastumine või eristumine; mil määral Ida-Euroopa riigid koonduvad ühte gruppi sarnaste arengujoonte alusel; millised ühiskonna makro- ja mikrotasandi tegurid avaldavad mõju individuaalsele vaba kooselu eelistamisele abielu asemel; kuivõrd kavatsus elada vabas kooselus on seletatav indiviidi sotsiaal-demograafiliste ning isiksuslike karakteristikutega ja lõpuks – milline on vabas kooselus elavate inimeste igapäevane pereelu korraldus abielus olevate inimestega võrreldes. Ülevaatepeatükk loob teoreetilise raamistiku vaba kooselu kiire leviku seletamisele Eesti ühiskonnas peale taasiseseisvumist ning toob esile vaba kooselu uurimisega kaasnevad metodoloogilised probleemid. Kokkuvõttes leitakse käesolevas väitekirjas, et vaba kooselu ulatuslik levik Eestis on sotsiaalsete arengute ja individuaalsete mõtestatud valikute omavahelise mõjustatuse seaduspärane tulem. Vaba kooselu laienemine erinevatesse sotsiaalsetesse gruppidesse on seletatav difusiooniprotsessiga, mille käigus muutub vaba kooselu kui sotsiaalne nähtus ise sisemiselt üha heterogeensemaks ning erisus abieluga kahaneb.
The current doctoral dissertation focuses on the process of spreading cohabitation, its trends and patterns in comparative European perspective, the factors of individual decisions-making and characteristic features compared to marriage based unions. The thesis comprises an introductory paper and three peer-reviewed articles published in international academic journals. The articles examine how spread is cohabitation in European countries, are the processes more convergent or divergent and can similar trends be determined in the Eastern European countries; how the spread of cohabitation at the societal level is explained through individual action; what are the factors determining individual decision-making processes that lead to favouring cohabitation instead of the legal marriage; can the intention to cohabit be explained by individual characteristics; how similar or different are the cohabiting and married couples and considering the family and work reconciliation and conflict, what are the differences between cohabitation and marriage-based family arrangements. The introductory article outlines the theoretical framework to explain the rapid diffusion of cohabitation in Estonia after re-independence and pays attention to methodological shortcomings of the measurement of cohabitating unions. In conclusion, the wide spread of cohabitation in Estonia is the outcome of the interplay between social changes and individual agency. The spread of cohabitation is described as a diffusion, which increases its internal heterogeneity. The cohabitation is induced by different reasons of individuals with various backgrounds, thus diminishing the differences between married and cohabiting couples, and the frames between marriage and cohabitation get more blur.
The current doctoral dissertation focuses on the process of spreading cohabitation, its trends and patterns in comparative European perspective, the factors of individual decisions-making and characteristic features compared to marriage based unions. The thesis comprises an introductory paper and three peer-reviewed articles published in international academic journals. The articles examine how spread is cohabitation in European countries, are the processes more convergent or divergent and can similar trends be determined in the Eastern European countries; how the spread of cohabitation at the societal level is explained through individual action; what are the factors determining individual decision-making processes that lead to favouring cohabitation instead of the legal marriage; can the intention to cohabit be explained by individual characteristics; how similar or different are the cohabiting and married couples and considering the family and work reconciliation and conflict, what are the differences between cohabitation and marriage-based family arrangements. The introductory article outlines the theoretical framework to explain the rapid diffusion of cohabitation in Estonia after re-independence and pays attention to methodological shortcomings of the measurement of cohabitating unions. In conclusion, the wide spread of cohabitation in Estonia is the outcome of the interplay between social changes and individual agency. The spread of cohabitation is described as a diffusion, which increases its internal heterogeneity. The cohabitation is induced by different reasons of individuals with various backgrounds, thus diminishing the differences between married and cohabiting couples, and the frames between marriage and cohabitation get more blur.
Description
Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsioone.
Keywords
doktoritööd, sotsioloogia, vaba kooselu, abielu