Resumo

OJEDA, Norma. Marriage and free union in the perception of Mexican adolescents living in Tijuana. Pap. poblac [online]. 2009, vol.15, n.60, pp.41-64. ISSN 2448-7147.

This is a study on the attitudes and perception of the Mexican youths on free union and marriage; a census was conducted in the student population of two public high schools in Tijuana, Baja California; information was also obtained from woman-only focal groups in the same schools. The results indicate that most of the youths do not believe in the existence of comparative advantages between marriage and free union. Likewise, the youths who are sure that pre-matrimonial cohabitation contributes to the marital stability are more numerous than those who believe that marriage makes the couple stable. We also found that the referential aspects considered in the perceptions of the interviewed female adolescents on the pros and cons the free union and marriage have are multilevel.

Palavras-chave : attitude; nuptiality; spouse; cohabitation; civil marriage; religious marriage.