Recently, various attempts have been undertaken to develop a comprehensive social cohesion index to monitor the social progress of society. However, classical sociological theories predict that contemporary modern communities function according to a different type of social cohesion than traditional communities. From both a theoretical and a methodological perspective, it can be questioned whether social cohesion can be summarised into one single index. In this article, an extensive dataset of social cohesion indicators is analysed, including indicators of religious involvement, social inclusion, crime and voter turnout, for 308 local communities in the Flemish region of Belgium. Based on first-and second-order factor analyses, it is concluded that it is impossible to construct one single indicator for social cohesion when taking the multidimensionality of the concept into account. While the traditional form prevails in rural areas, it does not coincide with a distinct modern form that prevails in urban areas.communities (Putnam, 2000;Chan et al., 2006; OECD, 2009). From a theoretical perspective, however, social cohesion should be seen as a multidimensional concept (Jenson,
Social life is fostered by having a partner and children that create interactions and generate new social networks. For divorced parents, the question is whether these positive relationships remain after marital dissolution. Do children form an additional barrier to social interaction, or do new partners present a means to reconstruct divorcees' social life? In this case, it is important to consider custody arrangements. The research question is how custody arrangements affect divorced parents' possibilities to participate in outdoor home leisure activities and to maintain their social contacts. Focus is placed on the recent post-divorce parenting model of joint physical custody, taking Belgium as a pioneer case study. Multi-level regressions are conducted, using multi-actor data from the Divorce in Flanders survey (N = 1506 divorced parents). Results show that joint physical custody helps divorced parents to stay socially integrated. Especially for mothers, joint physical custody has a liberating effect. They engage in more outdoor home activities and better maintain their social networks than sole custody mothers. In this way, the positive effects of social interaction can counterbalance other detrimental effects of divorce and contribute to a higher level of their general well-being. While joint custody for fathers means they may spend more time with their children, their engagement in personal leisure activities and social networks is not altered by this custody arrangement.
BACKGROUND The existence of cohabitation is a historical feature of nuptiality in Latin America. Traditionally, cohabitation was common in less developed regions, among the lower social classes. But today its occurrence is increasing and in social groups and regions in which it was not common. The features of this latter type of cohabitation remain unclear. OBJECTIVE We differentiate types of cohabitation in Latin America on the basis of relationship context at its outset and its outcomes in terms of childbearing. The comparability of these types over countries is attested, as well as their evolution over time and the educational and age profiles of cohabitants. METHODS Demographic and Health Survey data for the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s for up to eight countries are analyzed by means of Multiple Group Latent Class Analysis. RESULTS Three types of cohabitation are found. The traditional type includes young and lowereducated women who start to cohabit during adolescence. They have more children at younger ages. The remaining two types of cohabitation included higher-educated women and are considered modern. The innovative type groups women from all age groups, with fewer children born at a higher age and never as a single woman. Blended
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