Determinants of partnering in middle and older age

• Applicant: Dr. Ingmar Rapp
• Subject Area: Empirical Social Research
• Term: from 2015 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 271642675

This research project examines the determinants of partnering in middle and older age. The research deficit in this area has different reasons. On the one hand, theoretical reflections on mate selection often refer to the traditional family cycle and therefore seldom take older people into account. However, due to the reduced stability of relationships, mate selection is less and less limited to younger ages and, therefore, the neglect of older people is no longer appropriate. On the other hand, small event numbers had been an insuperable obstacle in the past. This situation has changed in recent years. The German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) now contains much more partnering-events in middle and older age than a few years ago. The research project follows up on the doctoral thesis of the applicant (Rapp, 2013) and on a successfully completed project called Die (In-) Stabilität von Paarbeziehungen im mittleren und höheren Erwachsenenalter which was funded by the German Research Foundation and conducted by Prof. Thomas Klein. It can be assumed that the determinants of relationship stability in middle and older age also affect the likelihood of finding a partner, and may even be determinants of the likelihood of partnering, because a new partner may be the cause for separation. One the one hand, descriptive analyses address the question of how the likelihood of partnering changes in middle and older age. Contrary to previous research, not only marriages and cohabitations will be considered, but also relationships where the partners live in separate households. Another specific feature of the research project is the linking of micro data with macro data on the partner market. On the other hand, the determinants and social differences of partnering in middle and older age will be examined. In this respect, two sets of factors are important: Firstly, there are all those factors that have turned out to be relevant for the likelihood of partnering in earlier stages of life, such as education, occupational status and social embeddedness, and there is the question to what extent these factors also affect the likelihood of partnering in later phases of life. Secondly, those factors that become more frequent in later phases of life, such as previous relationships, children from previous partners and health restrictions, are of particular interest.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants