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Height, socioeconomic status and marriage in Italy around 1900

Author

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  • Manfredini, Matteo
  • Breschi, Marco
  • Fornasin, Alessio
  • Seghieri, Chiara

Abstract

This study examines the role of height in the process of mate selection in two Italian populations at the turn of the twentieth century, Alghero, in the province of Sassari, and Treppo Carnico, in the province of Udine. Based on a linkage between military registers and marriage certificates, this study reveals a negative selection of short men on marriage and a differential effect of tallness by population in the process of mate choice. These findings emerge once SES is taken into account in the risk models of marriage.

Suggested Citation

  • Manfredini, Matteo & Breschi, Marco & Fornasin, Alessio & Seghieri, Chiara, 2013. "Height, socioeconomic status and marriage in Italy around 1900," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 465-473.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:11:y:2013:i:4:p:465-473
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2012.06.004
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    Cited by:

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    2. Roberto Bonilla & Francis Kiraly & John Wildman, 2019. "Beauty Premium And Marriage Premium In Search Equilibrium: Theory And Empirical Test," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 60(2), pages 851-877, May.
    3. Francisco J. Marco-Gracia & Javier Puche, 2020. "Did taller people live longer? Influence of height on life span in rural Spain, 1835-2019," Working Papers 0201, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    4. Marco-Gracia, Francisco J. & Puche, Javier, 2021. "The association between male height and lifespan in rural Spain, birth cohorts 1835-1939," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    5. Kelly Balistreri & Kara Joyner & Grace Kao, 2015. "Relationship Involvement Among Young Adults: Are Asian American Men an Exceptional Case?," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 34(5), pages 709-732, October.
    6. Marco Breschi & Massimo Esposito & Stanislao Mazzoni & Lucia Pozzi, 2014. "Fertility transition and social stratification in the town of Alghero, Sardinia (1866-1935)," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 30(28), pages 823-852.
    7. Thompson, Kristina & Koolman, Xander & Portrait, France, 2021. "Height and marital outcomes in the Netherlands, birth years 1841-1900," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    8. Francisco J. Marco-Gracia & Margarita López-Antón, 2021. "Rethinking the Fertility Transition in Rural Aragón (Spain) Using Height Data," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-28, August.
    9. Yamamura, Eiji & Tsutsui, Yoshiro, 2017. "Comparing the role of the height of men and women in the marriage market," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 42-50.
    10. Eiji Yamamura & Yoshiro Tsutsui, 2017. "Gap of height and education within couple and its effect on conflict and evaluation about partners: psychological cost of division of labor within household," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 17-35, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    11. Eiji Yamamura & Yoshiro Tsutsui, 2016. "Comparing the role of height between men and women in the marriage market," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 16-20, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    12. Breschi, M. & Fornasin, A. & Gonano, G. & Mazzoni, S. & Manfredini, M., 2020. "Male fertility between biology and the socioeconomic context news from the past (Alghero, 1866–1935)," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    13. Wilson, Nicholas & Janicki, Martha, 2016. "A cut above the rest? Private anthropometrics in marriage markets," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 164-179.
    14. Valery Krupnik & Mariya V. Cherkasova, 2014. "Size Matters Stature Is Related to Diagnoses of Depression in Young Military Men," SAGE Open, , vol. 4(3), pages 21582440145, July.
    15. Murasko, Jason E., 2020. "Height, marriage, and partner characteristics for women in low- and middle-income countries," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 38(C).
    16. Joerg Baten & Giacomo Benati & Sarah Ferber, 2022. "Rethinking age heaping again for understanding its possibilities and limitations," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 75(3), pages 960-971, August.
    17. Thompson, Kristina & Portrait, France & Lindeboom, Maarten, 2022. "Is paternal height related to fertility outcomes? Evidence from the Netherlands during the secular growth trend," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    18. Yang, Xiao & Gao, Jian & Liu, Jin-Hu & Zhou, Tao, 2018. "Height conditions salary expectations: Evidence from large-scale data in China," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 501(C), pages 86-97.

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