in the family system, suggesting that cohabitation may be a step on the way to marriage for some, but an end in itself …Past work on the relationship between cohabitation and childbearing shows that cohabitation increases fertility … these decisions can bias estimates of cohabitation on childbearing. For example, cohabitors may be more likely to plan …

€™s patterns of entry into marriage and cohabitation in Portugal and Spain. In these two Southern European countries, gender equity …Economic and sociological theories of marriage have long emphasized the impact of women’s education and employment on … of entering marriage but increases considerably the odds of cohabiting. …