For Better or For Worse? Understanding the Revolution in Married Life in Australia
Marriage has traditionally been viewed as the bedrock institution of society. But recent evidence suggests that marriage patterns have been transformed. People are marrying less, and those who do are marrying later, separating more, and often marrying after cohabiting and having children. What are the consequences of these changes for people’s experience of these relationships and for other outcomes, such as relationship quality, life satisfaction and views about marriage? This project provides important information that enables greater understanding of changing family patterns and provides critical data for policy-makers concerned with the social welfare of individuals and the changing role of the family in Australia today.
Aims
We employ a life course perspective that emphasises the timing, sequencing and linkages between lie events showing how differing pathways into and out of marriage impact upon how it is experienced
There are four aims:
- To document clearly recent trends in marriage patterns in Australia
- To expand our knowledge of the meaning of marriage
- To investigate how the experience of marriage varies depending on pathways into and our of marriage
- To investigate how these processes vary by gender, class and ethnicity
Project team
- Professor Janeen Baxter (UQ)
- Dr Belinda Hewitt (UQ)
Project details
Duration: January 2009–January 2013
Partners: Australian Research Council
Funding: ARC Discovery Project
Contact: Professor Janeen Baxter (j.baxter@uq.edu.au )