BACKGROUNDImmigrants and their descendants often marry a co-ethnic partner despite the abundance of native-born marriage candidates. The prevalence of co-ethnic marriages and intermarriage among migrants is influenced by their integration level and cultural background as much as individual preferences and structural factors. OBJECTIVEThis paper expands existing literature on intermarriage by analysing first marriages across European countries, distinguishing marriage type (endogamous versus exogamous) and migrant generations (immigrants versus their descendants). Hannemann et al.: Co-ethnic marriage versus intermarriage among immigrants and their descendants 488 http://www.demographic-research.org METHODSData from seven countries was aggregated using the count-data method and was subsequently pooled and analysed together; first, to estimate unadjusted first marriage rates; second, to calculate marriage risks separately by marriage type; and, finally, to directly compare the risk of exogamous and endogamous marriage. RESULTSThere are substantial differences in the prevalence of co-ethnic marriage and intermarriage across the migrant groups. Migrants from non-EU countries often show a high prevalence of co-ethnic marriages and a low risk of intermarriage, whereas migrants from neighbouring countries show a relatively high risk of intermarriage. CONCLUSIONSEthnic background and early socialisation have strong impacts on the partner choice of migrants and their descendants. The results suggest a strong influence of minority subcultures for some migrant groups, but also intergenerational adaptation processes for others. CONTRIBUTIONThis paper provides an up-to-date comparison of intermarriage rates across seven European countries and two migrant generations, presenting evidence of both similarities and differences across countries.

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This study focuses on financial consequences of a separation for migrant ex-partners. International literature on economic consequences has well documented the gender effects in the consequences of splitting up or the differences between former married and cohabiting couples. Building on these insights, this chapter focuses on the heterogeneity in couples in migration status and origin group. Using data from the Belgian Crossroads Bank of Social Security, we look at financial consequences after a break-up for European and non-European ex-partners with a migrant background. Using latent growth modelling for income trajectories of men and women after divorce, we show that migrant background plays a role to a certain extent. Gender effects were large and significant in all subgroups but contrary to our expectations, economically weaker groups show a more modest financial drawback compared to stronger groups. Coping strategies showed patterns that were expected except for returning to the parental home which had a negative influence on the income trajectory. The (weak) economic position of the parents in some migrant group explains this effect.

Abstract :  This article studies relationship break‐up among married and cohabiting couples, based on the Belgian data ofthe Crossroads Bank of Social Security. The results are based on a sample of couples marrying for the first timeor starting to cohabit for the first time between 1999 and 2001. The sample is followed over time until 2013. Thepurpose of this study is to gain insight in relationship break‐up of married and cohabiting couples using registerdata. Given the fact that cohabiting couples are underestimated in official statistics because these only use offi‐cially registered partnerships (e.g. legal cohabitation), cohabiting couples are identified in this article on the basisof their LIPRO typology giving a more correct insight in relationship dynamics of cohabiting couples.The article looks at patterns of relationship dissolution with the aid of survival analysis and a discrete time eventhistory analysis for three relationship trajectories: marriages formed without premarital cohabitation, marriagesformed after a period of premarital cohabitation and cohabitations not (yet) converted into a marriage duringthe observation period. The results show that cohabiting couples not marrying during the observation period,have a much lower chance to be together after 14 years compared to the married couples. The differences be‐tween married couples with and without a period of unmarried cohabitation are more limited. Further, we findthat a break‐ups are more common among couples who start living together at an early age, start from a weakereconomic background or those that do not have children during the first four years. The association betweenrelationship break‐up and these background characteristics is similar among all three relationship trajectoriesstudied.

Grandparents constitute an important source of childcare to many parents. Focusing on the Belgian context, this paper improves our understanding of childcare decision-making by investigating how formal childcare availability and availability of grandparents affect childcare arrangements. By means of multinomial regression models we simultaneously model uptake of formal and informal childcare by parents. Combining linked microdata from the Belgian censuses with contextual data on childcare at the level of municipalities, we consider formal childcare availability at a local level, while including a wide array of characteristics which may affect grandparental availability. Results indicate that increasing formal care crowds-out informal care as the sole care arrangement, whereas combined use of formal and informal care becomes more prevalent. Characteristics indicating a lack of grandmaternal availability increase uptake of formal care and inhibit to a lesser extent the uptake of combined formal and informal care. While increasing formal care substitutes informal care use, the lack of availability of informal care by grandparents may be problematic, particularly for those families most prone to use informal care.