Changing mind, changing plans? Instability of individual gender attitudes and postponement of marriage in Germany

Abstract

BACKGROUND Numerous studies address the relationship between gender attitudes and family formation, especially the attitudes–fertility connection. To date, little attention has been paid to the longitudinal dynamics of these attitudes, in particular the stability of attitudes over time, and the impact of their stability on marriage. OBJECTIVE To investigate how stable or unstable gender attitudes are related to the timing of first transitions to marriage in Germany.