Open access
STUDENTS’ VIEWS ON MODELS OF MATRIMONIAL UNIONS
Krystyna LEŚNIAK- MOCZUK1
Publication language: English
scientific paper
Guests Editor if the IssueTomasz Herudziński, Wojciech Mincewicz
Transformations No. 4(127)2025, Publication date: 30 December 2025
Keywords: free unions, cohabitation, marriage, youth attitudes, family transformation, Poland
Abstract The article analyses students’ opinions on the motivations underlying the choice of matrimonial relationship models, with particular attention paid to free (informal) unions and formal marriages. The study is embedded in a broader sociological reflection on the transformation of marriage and family in traditional, modern, and postmodern societies, taking into account historical experience, cultural change, and legal frameworks. The main thesis assumes that the contemporary young generation of students shows a clear preference for free unions, and that these preferences are shaped by selected social and demographic factors, including gender, stage of education, place of permanent residence, subjective assessment of family material conditions, and parents’ marital status. The empirical basis of the article consists of survey research conducted on a sample of 264 students from the academic community in Rzeszów, representing the University of Rzeszów and the Rzeszów University of Technology, enrolled in sociology, social work, and internal security programmes. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey administered during classes. The study includes both descriptive and comparative statistical analyses aimed at identifying correlations between students’ socio-demographic characteristics and their attitudes towards different forms of intimate relationships. The findings indicate a growing acceptance of free unions among students, accompanied by a noticeable reluctance to formalise relationships through marriage. The most frequently indicated reasons for this trend include fear of the legal and financial consequences of divorce, a loose attitude towards religious norms, reluctance to assume responsibility for a family, postponement or rejection of parenthood, and the value placed on personal freedom and mobility. The results confirm broader tendencies described in the sociology of the family literature, pointing to the ongoing individualisation of intimate life, diversification of family forms, and redefinition of marriage as one of many possible life strategies rather than a universal social norm.
Institute of Sociological Sciences, University of Rzeszów, Poland
ORCID: 0000-0001-7032-9205
E-mail: klesniak@ur.edu.pl