Life in couple of young adults and sociodemographic dynamics of change during the life course. A theoretical revision for the study of their union formation and dissolution trajectories

Abstract

Recently, Western countries have witnessed major changes in the transition to adulthood. Young adults are delaying the processes of emancipation and couple and family formation. In the case of couple life, phenomena such as cohabitation, Living Apart Together (LAT), separation and divorce, are becoming more diverse and complex, as the timing, entering and exit to or from such states normalized and its frequency increases with the advancing of the life cycle. Such levels of heterogeneity challenge the institutionalization of the life course, as individual biographies could not be considered stable and predictable. Quite the contrary, would be subject of variations that respond both to increase of agency as well as structural barriers, both influencing the construction of their own life path. So, is the main objective of this work to propose a theoretical reflection from the sociological and demographic perspectives as a basis for the empirical analysis of changes in the couple related life of young adults through the observation of their union and breakup trajectories.