The Role of Family and International Migration Dynamics in the Formation of Single-Parent Families

Tatiana Eremenko, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED) and Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI)

In the past, living in a single parent family was often the result of a parent’s death. With the rise in divorce, the development of cohabiting unions, and the growing migrant population, single parenthood diversified. This paper aims at understanding to what extent family and international migration dynamics play a role in the formation and experience of single mother immigrant families. Our study focuses on France using the “Trajectories and Origins” survey (2008-2009), covering not only diverse origin groups but also different migrant profiles, allowing us to explore the diversity of single parenthood and its determinants. We include indicators of the family formation process (e.g. age at first birth) and its intersection with migration (e.g. place of birth of children) in our analyses. First results show that a one-dimensional view on single mother families doesn’t do justice to reality. Migration dynamics and family life experiences both contribute to single motherhood.