UK second generation - expectations for living together, marriage and parenthood

New research published in the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies by CPC member Ann Berrington is exploring whether young people’s expectations of living together, marriage and parenthood differ by ethnic group, and whether the expectations of the UK second generation are becoming similar to those of their white British counterparts.

The research, using the Understanding Society household survey, has investigated the expectations of young adults aged 16-21, and explores whether family transitions among descendants of post second-world-war immigrants are converging towards those of white British young adults.

Findings show that:

• expectations for marriage and parenthood are unanimously high, but there is greater uncertainty among white British and black Caribbean adolescents as to what age they will be when it happens;
• South Asians, particularly second-generation Bangladeshi and Pakistani adolescents, have significantly lower expectations that they will cohabit; and
• ethnic group differences remain when religiosity, parental background and individual characteristics are taken into account.

Professor Berrington says: “The research shows that marriage is being foregone by increasing numbers of especially white British and black Caribbeans, despite there being very few young people who don’t expect to marry. Further investigation is required to identify what causes them to change their mind as they grow older, or the barriers which prevent them from marrying.”

She continues: “In the future, we might expect to see a fall in family size of Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups, where it seems that high aspirations for education mean they are postponing their entry into family formation. Interestingly, young second generation Indian men and women are more likely to expect to cohabit in the future than are Pakistani or Bangladeshis. Further research is required to find reasons for this difference, but they are likely to include religious beliefs and traditional marriage rules.”

CPC has published Briefing Paper 44 ‘UK second generation young adults’ expectations for living together, marriage and parenthood’ to accompany the full paper, which gives an overview of the research.

The full journal article, entitled “Expectations for family transitions in young adulthood among the UK second generation”, features in the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies Special Issue ‘Ethnic diversity in the UK: new opportunities and changing constraints’.

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Posted 19/11/2018 10:27

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