The role of ideational system on the kind of partnership in Southern Europe

Abstract

This paper belongs to the studies regarding the determinants of the new family behav-iours. Particularly, we have turned our attention to the analysis of the factors that induce men and women to choose marriage or cohabitation in Italy and Spain. These are two countries of the Mediterranean Europe where family behaviours are very different from those characterizing Western Europe. The analysis highlighted the important role of both individuals' ideational system and sociodemographic condition on the kind of partnership chosen.