Family formation and urbanization.

"This article will deal with two stages in the family life course: formation of the couple through marriage, and the birth of successive children.... We shall investigate whether migration into or out of a metropolitan area modifies the formation of the family, and conversely whether the different stages in family formation modify migration behaviour....First, using a nonparametric approach, we shall consider the sequence of events throughout an individual's life-course, and thereby demonstrate how the occurrence of one life-event alters the probability of the occurrence of others." Next, a semiparametric approach is used to analyze the impact of variables such as educational level, occupational level, and social class on marriage, fertility, and migration. The geographic focus is on France. excerpt