Partnering in Latin America

Pilar Wiegand-Cruz

Chapter Chapter 28 in Research Handbook on Partnering across the Life Course, 2025, pp 347-364 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Over the past five decades, Latin America has witnessed substantial transformations in partnership formation, marked notably by a pronounced rise in cohabiting unions and childbirth within such arrangements. Latin Americans are increasingly opting for nonmarital cohabitation as their first union, with a growing prevalence of cohabitation throughout their lives and a rising trend of first-time parenthood occurring within cohabiting unions. The increase in nonmarital cohabitation has been a focal point for scholars over the last 25 years, leading to significant research on the trends and patterns in union formation. Research has intended to identify the reasons for the rise in nonmarital cohabitation across Latin America and explain the regional variation in cohabitation levels. This chapter reviews recent research on cohabiting unions, presenting trends in nonmarital cohabitation and marriage. It also synthesizes findings from recent research that seek to unravel the unique aspects of Latin American partnering patterns. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the current legal frameworks that regulate cohabiting unions in Latin America.

Keywords: Family formation; Cohabitation; Socioeconomic gradient; Latin America (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781803923376
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