Cohabitation at later stages of life: motivation for transition to official marriage

Abstract

The article considers the phenomenon of the transition from cohabitation to marriage of people aged 40-80. The empirical basis of the study is a number of interviews with couples (husband and wife) who cohabited for more than two years and registered their marriage in adulthood and advanced age (20 informants, 9 couples). The author examines emotional, social and cultural and economic motives for marriage in adulthood and advanced age. The transformation of family in the Russian society contributes to the unofficial marriage at the later stages of living together. At the same time, even this kind of couples behave in a traditional way eventually preferring the institution of official marriage instead of freedom