Who Marries Whom?: Educational Systems as Marriage Markets in Modern Societies (European Studies of Population Book 12)

Marriage and social inequality are closely interrelated. Marriage is dependent on the structure of marriage markets, and marriage patterns have consequences for social inequality. This book demonstrates that in most modern societies the educa­ tional system has become an increasingly important marriage market, particularly for those who are highly qualified. Educational expansion in general and the rising educational participation of women in particular unintentionally have increased the rate of "assortative meeting" and assortative mating across birth cohorts. Rising educational homogamy means that social inequality is further enhanced through marriage because better (and worse) educated single men and women pool their economic and sociocultural advantages (and disadvantages) within couples. In this book we study the changing role of the educational system as a marriage market in modern societies from a cross-national comparative perspective. Using life-history data from a broad range of industrialized countries and longitudinal statistical models, we analyze the process of spouse selection in the life courses of single men and women, step by step. The countries included in this book vary widely in important characteristics such as demographic behavior and institutional characteristics. The life course approach explicitly recognizes the dynamic nature of partner decisions, the importance of educational roles and institutional circum­ stances as young men and women move through their life paths, and the cumulation of advantages and disadvantages experienced by individuals. Educational Systems As Marriage Markets In Modern Societies : A Conceptual Framework / Hans-peter Blossfeld And Andreas Timm -- Who Marries Whom In West Germany? / Hans-peter Blossfeld And Andreas Timm -- Who Marries Whom In Flemish Belgium? / Martine Corijn -- Who Marries Whom In France? / Dominique Goux And Eric Maurin -- The When And Whom Of First Marriage In The Netherlands / Nan Dirk De Graaf [and Others] -- Who Marries Whom In Italy? / Fabrizio Bernardi -- Who Marries Whom In Spain? / Mariá José González López -- Who Marries Whom In Great Britain? / Tak Wing Chan And Brendan Halpin --who Marries Whom In The United States? / Andreas Timm, Hans-peter Blossfeld And Teresa Lankuttis -- Who Moves Together With Whom In Denmark? / Søren Leth-sørensen -- Who Marries Whom In Sweden? / Ursula Henz And Jan O. Jonsson -- Who Marries Whom In Hungary? / Erzsébet Bukodi And Péter Róbert -- Who Marries Whom In Slovenia? / Sonja Dobnič And Nevenka Cěrnigoj Sadar -- Two Decades Of Educational Intermarriage In Israel / Haya Stier And Yossi Shavit -- Assortative Mating In Cross-national Comparison : A Summary Of Results And Conclusions / Hans-peter Blossfeld And Andreas Timm. Edited By Hans-peter Blossfeld And Andreas Timm. Includes Bibliographical References. Front Matter....Pages i-xii Educational Systems as Marriage Markets in Modern Societies: a Conceptual Framework....Pages 1-18 Who Marries whom in West Germany?....Pages 19-35 Who Marries whom in Flemish Belgium?....Pages 37-55 Who Marries Whom In France?....Pages 57-78 The when and whom of First Marriage in The Netherlands....Pages 79-111 Who Marries whom in Italy?....Pages 113-139 Who Marries whom in Spain?....Pages 141-169 Who Marries whom in Great Britain?....Pages 171-194 Who Marries whom in The United States?....Pages 195-211 Who Moves together with whom in Denmark?....Pages 213-234 Who Marries whom in Sweden?....Pages 235-266 Who Marries Whom In Hungary?....Pages 267-294 Who Marries whom in Slovenia?....Pages 295-314 Two Decades of Educational Intermarriage in Israel....Pages 315-330 Assortative Mating in Cross-National Comparison: a Summary of Results and Conclusions....Pages 331-342 Back Matter....Pages 343-343 The book is theoretically driven and combines demographic and sociological approaches with rational choice theory to explain assortative mating. Using life-history data from a broad range of industrialized countries and longitudinal statistical models, the book analyzes the process of spouse selection in the life courses of single men and women. The countries included vary widely in important characteristics such as demographic behavior and institutional characteristics. The life course approach explicitly recognizes the dynamic nature of partner decisions, the importance of educational roles and institutional circumstances as young men and women move through their life paths, and the accumulation of advantages and disadvantages experienced by individuals "Who Marries Whom is of interest to sociologists, demographers, economists and students of social structure, social inequality, social and demographic change."--BOOK JACKET