Data Analysis 98

After conducting and recording the interviews, all audio tapes were transcribed. This enabled us to go back to the data several times. In a further step we coded the material. The coding and categorizing of the interviews was inspired by grounded theory (Glaser and Strauss 1967). Grounded theory employs three steps of coding and categorizing to analyze qualitative data: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. Open coding refers to labeling of

categories, and axes between them are identified. During axial coding, the number of codes is reduced and the different axes between the phenomenon and its context, intervening factors, and consequences are constructed (Glaser and Strauss 1967; Corbin and Strauss 1990). Finally, selective coding aims at “elaborate[ing] the core category around which the other developed categories can be grouped and by which they are integrated” (Flick 2002: 182). The end result of qualitative research is the generation of theory. For our analysis, we used Nvivo computer software, a program designed for the purpose of coding and analyzing qualitative data. After coding our interviews, we had a total of about 440 labels. As in grounded theory, we categorized these codes and elaborated axes between emerging categories. Furthermore, we used memos as an intermediate step between coding and analyzing (Charmaz 2000).

To illustrate the analytical steps we quote two examples. After providing the interviews with open codes, we pooled those codes that belonged together into categories. In Example 1, we refer to the category “type of cohabitation.” In this category, we subsumed all possible types of informal unions, among them cohabitation as pre-marital passage, as trial, as alternative, and so forth. (See Example 1 for a selection of different codes of this category, corresponding code descriptions, and exemplary passages from the interviews.) Example 1: Category “Type of cohabitation”

Code Code description Passages

‘Premarital passage’ Cohabitation is primarily perceived as a pre-marital step.

“But I was already thinking about building something more serious, more lasting, something that might lead to marriage.”13

13 _{“Ma c’era già in me l’idea di far nascere qualcosa di più serio, più duraturo, qualcosa che portasse al}

Code Code description Passages ‘Trial’ The union is, in the first place,

seen as a trial that might lead to marriage, but does not need to.

“I mean … we are happy together, but it’s not as if our living together is specifically aimed at marriage. The intention is there, but it is not obligatory, shall we say.”14

‘One experience (among others)’

Cohabitation is perceived as one experience among others. The wedding is not (yet) taken into account.

“Maybe (it’s) an experiment that might work out or which might fail … to see what living together all the time is like, shall we say.”15

‘Alternative living arrangement’

The informal union is experienced as an alternative living arrangement. The couple decided consciously against a wedding.

“It’s a choice that’s linked to the fact … for me and also for Giulio, my boyfriend, it’s the same as marriage. We are not practicing Catholics so we don’t believe we need to formalize our relationship by having to go to Church and celebrate a ceremony.”16

…

In Example 2, we focus on the category “advantages of cohabitation.” Interviewees quoted, for instance, economic advantages, a higher degree of security, more freedom, or no wedding costs as benefits of an informal union. Example 2 presents a selection of codes for this category.

Example 2: Category “Advantages of cohabitation”

Code Code description Passages

‘Economically advantageous’

The informal union is perceived as economically advantageous e.g. due to the fact that the couple shares costs for housing, electricity, gas and water.

“Well … firstly for financial reasons in the sense that … because I had a single room anyway, he always came to my place and so to give us both more freedom and also to share the rent costs as best as possible, etcetera, etcetera, we decided to share a room in a flat

14 _{“Cioè … stiamo bene però non è che questa convivenza sia finalizzata al matrimonio, le intenzioni ci sono}

ma non è una cosa tassativa diciamo.”

15 _{“Magari (è) un esperimento che può funzionar bene oppure può fallire anche … per vedere come si vive}

insieme tutto il tempo diciamo.”

16 _{“È una scelta che è legata al fatto di …per me e anche per Giulio, il mio ragazzo equivale al matrimonio,}

non siamo cattolici praticanti quindi non pensiamo che sia per noi necessario per ufficializzare il nostro rapporto dover andare in Chiesa e dover celebrare una cerimonia.”

Code Code description Passages where other people live.”17

‘Never alone’ Cohabitation is seen as beneficial as both persons involved in the union are never alone.

“Well, in my opinion, the advantage is that I never feel alone. I like it, apart from the fact that I love him, so I like being with him, and I also like sharing things with people. (…) So this is one of the biggest advantages.”18

‘More security’ The union is assumed to give a higher degree of security as far as the seriousness of the relationship is concerned.

“Another of the advantages is … in any case it gives you more security. At the start of our relationship (…) I was always afraid that it would finish and after an argument I thought “oh, I’ve made a big mistake this time and he won’t be back’, whereas if you live together he has to come back anyway because where is he going to sleep at night? He can spend one night in a hotel but it’s not as if he can … can he? Sooner or later he’ll be back, so in any case you have a chance to put things right.”19

‘You can always go’ One advantage of a non- marital union is seen in the possibility to separate at any time. When married, in contrast, it is assumed to be much more difficult to put that choice into action.

“But in my opinion the advantage is purely psychological, at least as far as I’m concerned. I mean when you live together you can always say “ok, friends as before’ when things aren’t working out. Not with marriage. You have responsibilities, besides financial ones, but well, basically there is something else.”20

spese d’affitto eccetra eccetra abbiamo deciso di condividere una stanza all’interno di un appartamento in cui abitano altre persone.”

18 _{“Mah, il vantaggio secondo me è che non mi sento mai sola. Mi piace, a parte che sono innamorata di lui}

quindi mi fa piacere stare con lui, però mi piace anche condividere le cose con le persone. (…) Quindi questo è uno dei più grossi vantaggi.”

19 _{“Un altro dei vantaggi è … ti dà comunque più sicurezza. Io all’inizio della nostra relazione (…) avevo}

sempre paura che finisse e pensavo dopo una litigata “ah, sta volta l’ho fatta grossa e non torna più’, mentre invece se abiti insieme comunque deve tornare perché dove va a dormire la sera? In albergo può andare una sera, ma non è che … no? Prima o poi torna, quindi comunque un’occasione per rimettere a posto le cose c’è.”

20 _{“Ma secondo me il vantaggio è che è un fatto prettamente mentale, almeno per quanto mi riguarda. Cioè è}

che nella convivenza poi si può sempre dire “ok, amici come prima’ quando non vanno bene le cose. Nel matrimonio no, ci sono delle responsabilità, al di là di quelle economiche però insomma c’è qualcosa in più ecco.”

Code Code description Passages ‘No wedding costs’ Another benefit of

cohabitation is seen in the fact that no cost-intensive wedding party needs to be arranged.

“Well, the first advantage: You avoid the whole rigmarole of having to organize the wedding and wedding costs for the party, which is for the others …”21

‘More freedom’ The informal union is perceived to give more freedom to the individuals involved in the relationship.

“For me living together only has advantages, because you are together just the same, you wake up together just the same every morning, you share problems just the same so for me there is no difference, but you are free … it’s a free choice to be together, so it’s only an advantage for me.”22

‘Having a trial’ Another advantage of an informal union is the fact that the couple has a trial before they decide to stay together for a longer period or before marriage.

“The advantages are that you can put your relationship to the test, so to speak.”23

…

However, in some cases, we had to deal with ambivalences of interviewees’ statements. For instance, one woman declared at one point that she perceived cohabitation as a step that leads to marriage. Yet, the same woman emphasized at another point the “trial” character of an informal union. In cases like that, we coded the first passage as “pre-marital step” and the second passage as “trial.’ When analyzing the actual case, however, we took this ambivalence into account.

In a further step – after coding – all categories were assigned to different axes. One important axis, for instance, is the “family axis.” Here we subsumed several categories and single codes that relate to the family of origin. The axis is composed as follows:

21 _{“Allora, il primo vantaggio: Uno si evita tutta la storia di dover organizzare il matrimonio, spese per il}

matrimonio per fare una festa che è per gli altri …”

22 _{“Per me c’è solo vantaggi nella convivenza perché si sta insieme lo stesso, ci si sveglia insieme lo stesso}

tutte le mattine, si condividono i problemi lo stesso perché per me non c’è differenza, però si è liberi … è una libera scelta di stare insieme, quindi per me è solo un vantaggio.”

• FAMILY

o RELATION TO PARENTS

§ Communication with parents § Family contact § Partner–Parents relationship § … o REACTIONS TO COHABITATION § _{Mother’s reaction} • Positive reaction • Negative reaction § _{Father’s reaction} § _{Reaction of sister(s)} § _{Reaction of brother(s)} § _… o SUPPORT § Economic support § Non-economic support § Support for the wedding § …

o PERCEIVED ATTITUDES o EXPRESSED ATTITUDES o …

Once all data were coded and all categories and axes constructed, we analyzed the material by using maps to illustrate the relationship between single codes, categories, and axes. In the following section, we describe the analytical strategy that influenced the way our data were analyzed and the way the corresponding results are now presented.