1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The article provides an overview of the spread of cohabitation in Quebec and in the other Canadian provinces, a review of the research done on the formation of first union in Canada and Quebec, and background on the role of the Catholic Church in Quebec and on some relevant changes in family law adopted over the last decades.» (p. 258)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«[D]ata from the 1984 National Fertility Survey and from the 1990, 1995, 2001, and 2006 General Social Surveys.» (résumé)

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«Despite the limitation of the data, it is fairly safe to conclude that indeed, the demise of the formation of the first union by marriage and its replacement by cohabitation is typical of French-speaking Quebecers, and that among them, the behavior of Catholics has become, for all practical purposes, identical to that of ‘‘Atheists.’’ […] The current coexistence of marriage and common-law union as accepted settings for conjugal relation and childrearing bring about some issues that may not be usual in other contexts. Some of these issues are revealing of changes in attitudes towards marriage. Our on-going research on marriage based on Quebec vital statistics shows that much, if not all, of the recent increase in the number of marriages among heterosexual couples is related to an amendment to the Civil Code enacted in 2002 that allows notaries and even friends or relatives to solemnize marriages. The number of marriages solemnized by religious ministers or by court clerks is still decreasing, while the new forms of solemnization, which give to the couple a complete control of the location and details of the ceremony, are on the rise. Apparently, in Quebec, some people really do marry for and because of the wedding.» (p. 273-274)