Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Sociology of Social Policy

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin | Department of Social Sciences | Sociology of Social Policy | News | New Research Project: Cohabition and Wealth in a cross German-French perspective [13.01.2020]

New Research Project: Cohabition and Wealth in a cross German-French perspective [13.01.2020]

At the 1st of January 2020 a new research project, founded by the DAAD, with the topic "The Cohabitation Wealth Premium: Comparing France, East and West Germany" started. In there, Philipp M. Lersch invesigates in cooperation with Marion Leturcq from the Institut national d’études démographiques the effects and consequences of cohabitation for wealth. In Europe, the stark increase in heterosexual cohabitation, i.e. women and men living together as a couple without being married, is one of the most important demographic changes in families in the last decades. The knowledge about how cohabitation, which is differently legally regulated and culturally accepted across social contexts, influences the life chances of individuals across these contexts is limited, however. In particular, the consequences of cohabitation for the economic wealth of couples are not clear. While marriage has been linked to a wealth premium, there is no evidence whether such positive consequences extend to cohabitation. Therefore, this timely and innovative project examines the association between cohabitation and wealth paying close attention to the distinct legal and cultural contexts in France, East, and West Germany.