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Opposites Attract – Evidence of Status Exchange in Ethnic Intermarriages in Sweden

Elwert, Annika LU (2016) In Lund Papers in Economic History. Population Economics
Abstract
This study raises the question of how marriage market relevant status characteristics are distributed among partners in exogamous relationships. The status exchange hypothesis posits that partners in racially and ethnically heterogamous relationships trade status characteristics, mainly education. We address this hypothesis focusing on intermarriages between immigrants and native men (N=606,257) and women (N=600,165) in Sweden using register data covering the entire Swedish population for the period 1990 to 2009. Results from binomial and multinomial logistic regressions show that low status in terms of age, income, and previous relationships are determinants for exogamy, and that the main marriage market relevant status that is exchanged... (More)
This study raises the question of how marriage market relevant status characteristics are distributed among partners in exogamous relationships. The status exchange hypothesis posits that partners in racially and ethnically heterogamous relationships trade status characteristics, mainly education. We address this hypothesis focusing on intermarriages between immigrants and native men (N=606,257) and women (N=600,165) in Sweden using register data covering the entire Swedish population for the period 1990 to 2009. Results from binomial and multinomial logistic regressions show that low status in terms of age, income, and previous relationships are determinants for exogamy, and that the main marriage market relevant status that is exchanged is age, not education. This holds particularly for immigrants from certain countries of origin such as for wives from Asia and Africa and husbands from Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Swedish men and women show surprisingly large symmetry in status exchange patterns. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Working paper/Preprint
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Interethnic marriage, Immigration/Migrant families, Ethnicity, Western European families, J12, J15, Z13
in
Lund Papers in Economic History. Population Economics
issue
2016:147
pages
34 pages
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c09fbce5-92b1-4e7d-9dc2-63bef6c17c9a
date added to LUP
2016-06-13 11:07:42
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:24:12
@misc{c09fbce5-92b1-4e7d-9dc2-63bef6c17c9a,
  abstract     = {{This study raises the question of how marriage market relevant status characteristics are distributed among partners in exogamous relationships. The status exchange hypothesis posits that partners in racially and ethnically heterogamous relationships trade status characteristics, mainly education. We address this hypothesis focusing on intermarriages between immigrants and native men (N=606,257) and women (N=600,165) in Sweden using register data covering the entire Swedish population for the period 1990 to 2009. Results from binomial and multinomial logistic regressions show that low status in terms of age, income, and previous relationships are determinants for exogamy, and that the main marriage market relevant status that is exchanged is age, not education. This holds particularly for immigrants from certain countries of origin such as for wives from Asia and Africa and husbands from Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Swedish men and women show surprisingly large symmetry in status exchange patterns.}},
  author       = {{Elwert, Annika}},
  keywords     = {{Interethnic marriage; Immigration/Migrant families; Ethnicity; Western European families; J12; J15; Z13}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Working Paper}},
  number       = {{2016:147}},
  series       = {{Lund Papers in Economic History. Population Economics}},
  title        = {{Opposites Attract – Evidence of Status Exchange in Ethnic Intermarriages in Sweden}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/10711408/LUP_147_June.pdf}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}