Abstract

With its long history of familism and conservative values, marriage has been universally expected of young adults in the Philippines, yet the country has undergone considerable modernization over recent decades. During a time of economic and cultural change, marriage rates have decreased, while cohabitation has become more prominent. Using a sample of young women and men in the Philippines, this study examines the marriage aspirations of young adults, in terms of their desire to marry and their preferred timing, thereof. The results show that while a majority of both sexes do prefer to marry someday, they espouse more individualistic preferences concerning intimacy and union formation. Their preference for cohabitation is shown to be positively associated with the desire to marry, suggesting that most view cohabitation as a precursor to marriage, and not purely an alternative form of union. The implications of the findings, along with the future of marriage patterns in the Philippines, are discussed with the Second Demographic Transition framework.

Keywords