Transitions to Adulthood in Europe

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xvi

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2. Transition to Adulthood: Sociodemographic Factors

   1. Transition to Adulthood: Sociodemographic Factors

      • Martine Corijn

      Pages 1-25

3. Transition to Adulthood: Developmental Factors

   1. Transition to Adulthood: Developmental Factors

      • Luc Goossens

      Pages 27-42

4. Country-specific contributions

   1. Transition to Adulthood in Austria

      • Christiane Pfeiffer, Vera Nowak

      Pages 43-65

   2. Transition to Adulthood in Britain

      • Ann Berrington

      Pages 67-102

   3. Transition to Adulthood in Flanders (Belgium)

      • Martine Corijn

      Pages 103-130

   4. Transition to Adulthood in France

      • Martine Corijn

      Pages 131-151

   5. Transition to Adulthood in Germany

      • Gert Hullen

      Pages 153-172

   6. Transition to Adulthood in Italy

      • Fausta Ongaro

      Pages 173-208

   7. Transition to Adulthood in the Netherlands

      • Miranda Jansen, Aart C. Liefbroer

      Pages 209-232

   8. Transition to Adulthood in Norway

      • Turid Noack

      Pages 233-255

   9. Transition to Adulthood in Poland

      • Irena Kowalska, Wiktoria Wróblewska

      Pages 257-277

   10. Transition to Adulthood in Spain

       • Pau Baizan

       Pages 279-312

5. Conclusions and discussion

   1. Transitions to Adulthood in Europe: Conclusions and Discussion

      • Martine Corijn, Erik Klijzing

      Pages 313-340

6. Back Matter

   Pages 341-341

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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.

• Demographic transition
• Nation
• fertility
• population
• transition

• Centre for Population and Family Studies, Brussels, Belgium

  Martine Corijn

• University of Bielefeld, Germany

  Erik Klijzing

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