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ABSTRACT
The objective of this study is to identify and describe the existing ideals regarding marriage or long-term coupling in Europe during the first decade of the twenty-first century and to measure their prevalence in the population. To obtain this broad picture we have developed a typology of marriages based on data from the 2008–2010 European Values Study and inspired by Louis Roussel's models. Two criteria have been used to classify evaluative opinions on marriage and construct the ideal types: the nature and function of the bond between partners. The first criterion, the nature of the relationship, differentiates those who favour an Alliance model (42.2% of Europeans), a Fusion model (38.1%) and an Association model (19.5%). In turn, within each ideal type, marriage can be conceived as being necessary or contingent. Combining both criterion results in a typology of six ideal types representing a broad spectrum; at the extremes we find the apparently outdated Institutional marriage supported by 27.8% of the population and an emerging ideal known as the Pure-relationship, supported by 8.4% of Europeans.
Funding
This work was supported by Spanish Labour Ministry, Women's Institute [grant number 033/07], and by Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness [grant number CSO2012J35032].
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Mercedes Camarero
Mercedes Camarero is Lecturer of Sociology at the Pablo de Olavide University. Her research interests are in the areas of family, social values, social capital, social quality and the developing of composite indicators. Currently, as a member of the research project entitled ‘Social Quality in Europe. Design and Development of Composite Indexes for the Measurement and Monitoring of the Quality of European Societies’, she is constructing an index of Family Social Capital.