Partnership Trajectories of Mothers without a Co-residential Partner

Abstract

Abstract:We investigate partnership transitions of mothers who had no coresidential partner at the time of birth of their fi rst child ('solo mothers'). Using retrospective partnership and co-residence histories from the Czech 2005 GGS, we investigate mothers' entry into the fi rst subsequent co-residential partnership using event history methods. We test several hypotheses derived from the individualisation theory. While approximately one half of 'solo mothers' had no co-residential partner at the time they had their fi rst child, almost 50% of them did enter a co-residential partnership subsequently. The probability of transitioning into a co-residential partnership increased over cohorts. Whereas about 25% of solo mothers from the oldest cohort (fi rst child born before entered a co-residential partnership with the 20 years after having their fi rst child), in the youngest cohort the fi gure was almost two-thirds. The highest odds are among very young solo mothers. Well-educated solo mothers are more likely to remain without a co-residential partner and the effect of education increases over cohorts, perhaps refl ecting their growing ability and willingness to remain solo.