Patterns of Entry into Cohabitation and Marriage Among Mainland Puerto Rican Women

Keywords

Union Formation, Consensual Union, Formal Marriage, Puerto Rican Woman, Legal Marriage

Abstract

This paper adds to our limited knowledge of racial and ethnic variation in union formation by describing and analyzing the first unions of mainland Puerto Rican women. Retrospective history data show that Puerto Ricans have shared in the post-l970 shift toward cohabitation. Puerto Rican women, however, are much more likely to enter informal first unions than the general population, and have a low propensity to transform informal unions into legal marriages. The paper examines the influence of family background and current activities on union timing and type. The relationship between partner attributes and the choice between formal and informal coupling is also considered.

Original Publication Citation

Landale, Nancy S. and Renata Forste. 1991. “Patterns of Entry into Cohabitation and Marriage Among Mainland Puerto Rican Women.” Demography28(4):587-607

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

1991-11

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/5638

Publisher

Demography

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Sociology

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS