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The duration of lone parenthood in Great Britain

La durée de parenté sans conjoint en Grande-Bretagne

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Abstract

This paper examines whether the duration of lone parenthood in Great Britain is dependent on demographic and economic factors that also affect the living standards of lone parents and their families. The analysis is restricted to female lone parents and is carried out separately for never married lone mothers and previously married lone mothers. For never married mothers, the duration of lone parenthood is defined as the waiting time between an ‘illegitimate’ birth (i.e. out of marriage) and marriage. For previously married mothers, the duration of lone parenthood is the waiting time between marital dissolution and remarriage. These durations are modelled with hazard regression techniques and data from the marital, demographic and employment histories of the 1980Women and Employment Survey.

Résumé

Cet article examine la dépendance entre durée de parenté sans conjoint et diverses caractéristiques démographiques et économiques qui affectent aussi les conditions de vie des parents seuls et de leurs enfants. L'analyse est restreinte aux femmes sans conjoint et réalisée séparément sur celles qui n'ont jamais été mariées ou au contraire l'ont été antérieurement. Pour les femmes non mariées, la durée de parenté sans conjoint est définie comme le temps d'attente entre une naissance ‘illégitime’ (c'est-à-dire hors mariage) et le mariage. Pour les femmes ayant eu un conjoint antérieur, la durée de parenté sans conjoint est le temps d'attente entre la dissolution du mariage et le remariage. Ces durées sont analysées à l'aide de modèles de regression à risques, avec des données sur l'histoire matrimoniale, démographique et professionnelle.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Political Economy, University of Glasgow, Adam Smith Bldg., GI2 8QQ, Glasgow, UK

    John F. Ermisch

  2. Studies in Social Policy Program, Institute for Research on Public Policy, 275 Slater Street, 5th Floor, K1P 5H9, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    Robert E. Wright

Authors
  1. John F. Ermisch
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  2. Robert E. Wright
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Ermisch, J.F., Wright, R.E. The duration of lone parenthood in Great Britain. Eur J Population 7, 129–158 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01797100

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01797100

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