Predictors of delayed marriage and parenthood among Filipino millennials

• Main Authors: Benzon, Shayna R., Salud, Joachim Kendrick R., Untalan, Portia Mae G., Uy, Vincent Anthony V.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2017
• Subjects: Generation Y > Philippines; Marriage > Philippines; Parenthood > Philippines; Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/7834
• Institution: De La Salle University

There have been scarce resources of quantitative studies on Filipino millennials that recent studies have heavily banked on Western and global studies in explaining their overall cognition, personality and behavior. Consequently, the researchers believe that such trends may not necessarily be observable among Filipino millennials. To prove such, this study aimed to investigate which predictors among family structure (FS), socioeconomic status (SES) and attitude towards marriage (ATM) or parenthood (ATP) have significant influence on Filipino millennials' tendency to delay marriage and parenthood. A quantitative correlational design was adopted, surveying participants who are 18 to 29 years old, the age range of most emerging adults. Results of the study revealed that none of the three variables (FS, SES, ATM) can significantly predict the delay in marraige, while only SES can significantly predict the delay in parenthood. This shows that belonging to a higher SES means an increase in the likehood to delay becoming a parent. This study also proved that Filipino millennials still follow the cultural template of marriage first before parenthood, because the delay in marriage significantly contributes to the delay in parenthood, a distinction from their Western cohorts. Filipino millennials still give due recognition to the role of marriage in having to raise a child, as expected from a family-oriented society, unlike Western millennials who now perceive that one can become a parent without prior marriage, significantly displaying their individualistic nature as a society.