M. Corijn – författare

The first aim of this title is to describe the similarities and differences in the timing and kind of transition among the post-war cohorts in Austria, Britain, Flanders (Belgium), France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Spain. A comparative description allows consideration of whether trends across Europe are converging or whether inter-country differences persist. A second aim of this volume is to bring together the results of individual-level studies from these ten European countries, analyzing the impact of selected determinants on the transition to adulthood. The focus in particular is on those factors that gave rise to the Second Demographic Transition. Almost all studies make use of the Fertility and Family Survey data, a survey co-ordinated in the 1990s by the Population Activities Unit of the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations. Comparing the results of these country-specific analyses sheds an intriguing light on the various ways in which these determinants operate in different economic and cultural contexts.

The diversification in family practices constitutes a major theme of research in the field of population studies. A substantial part of these diversification processes are linked to the stage of family formation. The increase in non-marital cohabitation and non-marital fertility and the postponement of marriage and parenthood have particularly characterised the transition from youth to adulthood among the post-war cohorts. In studying the transition from youth to adulthood, the timing of events is crucial. Different timing patterns are the product of the interplay between a multitude of factors in the institutional as well as the personal context. In this respect, cross-country comparative research is a powerful tool to understand the determinants of the change processes. To move beyond the mere description of the changes is a challenge that not only is eminently scientific, it also gives the necessary insights to grasp the implications of the changes for policy. From this policy perspective, the postponement of the integration into adulthood has major societal consequences, such as the very low fertility and the fact that the family formation itself became a matter of choice. Over the years, the Population and Family Studies Centre (CBGS), a scientific institute of the Flemish Community, has intensively investigated these changes constituting the Second Demographic Transition, not only through national but through cross-national comparative research.