Country-Specific Case Studies on Partnership Dynamics Among Immigrants and Their Descendants

This case study examines partnership transitions among the migrants and their descendants in Estonia, who mainly originate from the European part of Russia. The study is based on the Estonian Generations and Gender Survey (2004/2005), and the Estonian Family and Fertility Survey (1994/1997) and employs proportional hazards event history models. The results show that new family formation patterns, associated with the Second Demographic Transition, are less prevalent among migrants. The difference between migrants and native Estonians is most pronounced in the mode of partnership formation and outcomes of cohabiting unions. At the same time, the results pertaining to union dissolution do not reveal a systematic difference between migrants and native Estonians. Reflecting the relatively slow integration of migrants, the difference between firstand second-generation immigrants appears limited. The results lend support to socialisation hypothesis and underscore the importance of contextual factors pertaining to both host and origin country.