IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/eurpop/v38y2022i5d10.1007_s10680-022-09621-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Choosing a Major and a Partner: Field of Study and Union Formation Among College-Educated Women in Europe

Author

Listed:
  • Dana Hamplová

    (Czech Academy of Sciences)

  • Alena Bičáková

    (Charles University and the Economics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the patterns of assortative mating among college-educated women who graduated from typically female, typically male, or mixed disciplines. Using a set of cross-sectional observations of a single cohort of female graduates (2010) from European Union Labour Force Survey data and applying multilevel multinomial logit models, we estimated the relative risk of living with a college-educated partner (homogamy), living with less educated partner (hypogamy), or being single. Focusing on the first five years after graduation, the analysis demonstrated that field of study is a significant predictor of mating behaviour. Women with degrees in male-dominated fields are less likely to partner down with less educated men. The mating advantage of women from male-dominated fields is stronger in countries with a higher female employment rate. Furthermore, more liberal gender roles seem to increase the level of singlehood among women from male-dominated fields. Finally, women from female-dominated and mixed disciplines are more likely to partner down if the man graduated from a male-typical discipline. However, among women from male-dominated disciplines, such a trade-off was not observed.

Suggested Citation

  • Dana Hamplová & Alena Bičáková, 2022. "Choosing a Major and a Partner: Field of Study and Union Formation Among College-Educated Women in Europe," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 38(5), pages 861-883, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eurpop:v:38:y:2022:i:5:d:10.1007_s10680-022-09621-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s10680-022-09621-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10680-022-09621-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10680-022-09621-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alena Bičáková & Štěpán Jurajda, 2017. "Gender composition of college graduates by field of study and early fertility," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 1323-1343, December.
    2. Erica S. Weisgram & Amanda B. Diekman, 2017. "Making STEM “Family Friendly”: The Impact of Perceiving Science Careers as Family-Compatible," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-19, June.
    3. Albert Esteve & Joan García-Román & Iñaki Permanyer, 2012. "The Gender-Gap Reversal in Education and Its Effect on Union Formation: The End of Hypergamy?," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 38(3), pages 535-546, September.
    4. Gerda R. Neyer & Jan M. Hoem, 2008. "Education and permanent childlessness: Austria vs. Sweden; a research note," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2008-007, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    5. Christine Schwartz & Robert Mare, 2005. "Trends in educational assortative marriage from 1940 to 2003," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 42(4), pages 621-646, November.
    6. Jan Van Bavel, 2012. "The reversal of gender inequality in education, union formation and fertility in Europe," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 10(1), pages 127-154.
    7. Milan Bouchet-Valat & Catriona Dutreuilh, 2015. "Fewer Singles among Highly Educated Women. A Gender Reversal of Hypergamy Across Cohorts in France," Population (english edition), Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED), vol. 0(4), pages 665-688.
    8. Gunter J. Hitsch & Ali Hortaçsu & Dan Ariely, 2010. "Matching and Sorting in Online Dating," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 100(1), pages 130-163, March.
    9. Siqi Han & Dmitry Tumin & Zhenchao Qian, 2016. "Gendered transitions to adulthood by college field of study in the United States," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 35(31), pages 929-960.
    10. Jan M. Hoem & Gerda Neyer & Gunnar Andersson, 2006. "Education and childlessness," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 14(15), pages 331-380.
    11. André Grow & Jan Van Bavel, 2015. "Assortative Mating and the Reversal of Gender Inequality in Education in Europe: An Agent-Based Model," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(6), pages 1-24, June.
    12. Albert Esteve & Christine R. Schwartz & Jan Bavel & Iñaki Permanyer & Martin Klesment & Joan García-Román, 2016. "The End of Hypergamy: Global Trends and Implications," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 42(4), pages 615-625, December.
    13. Jan Bavel, 2010. "Choice of study discipline and the postponement of motherhood in Europe: The impact of expected earnings, gender composition, and family attitudes," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 47(2), pages 439-458, May.
    14. Altonji, J.G. & Arcidiacono, P. & Maurel, A., 2016. "The Analysis of Field Choice in College and Graduate School," Handbook of the Economics of Education,, Elsevier.
    15. Becker, Gary S, 1973. "A Theory of Marriage: Part I," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 81(4), pages 813-846, July-Aug..
    16. Yolien De Hauw & André Grow & Jan Van Bavel, 2017. "The Reversed Gender Gap in Education and Assortative Mating in Europe," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 33(4), pages 445-474, October.
    17. Matthijs Kalmijn, 2013. "The Educational Gradient in Marriage: A Comparison of 25 European Countries," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(4), pages 1499-1520, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jan Bavel & Martin Klesment, 2017. "Educational Pairings, Motherhood, and Women’s Relative Earnings in Europe," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(6), pages 2331-2349, December.
    2. Alessandra Trimarchi & Jan Van Bavel, 2017. "Education and the Transition to Fatherhood: The Role of Selection Into Union," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(1), pages 119-144, February.
    3. Giulia Corti & Stefani Scherer, 2021. "Mating Market and Dynamics of Union Formation," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 37(4), pages 851-876, November.
    4. Natalie Nitsche & Anna Matysiak & Jan Bavel & Daniele Vignoli, 2018. "Partners’ Educational Pairings and Fertility Across Europe," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(4), pages 1195-1232, August.
    5. Dávid Erát, 2021. "Educational assortative mating and the decline of hypergamy in 27 European countries: An examination of trends through cohorts," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 44(7), pages 157-188.
    6. Alessandra Trimarchi & Jan Bavel, 2020. "Partners’ Educational Characteristics and Fertility: Disentangling the Effects of Earning Potential and Unemployment Risk on Second Births," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 36(3), pages 439-464, July.
    7. Alessandra Trimarchi, 2022. "Gender-Egalitarian Attitudes and Assortative Mating by Age and Education," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 38(3), pages 429-456, August.
    8. Christos Bagavos, 2017. "Do different educational pairings lead to different fertility outcomes? A cohort perspective for the Greek case," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 15(1), pages 215-237.
    9. Yolien De Hauw & André Grow & Jan Van Bavel, 2017. "The Reversed Gender Gap in Education and Assortative Mating in Europe," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 33(4), pages 445-474, October.
    10. Zhiyong Lin & Sonalde Desai & Feinian Chen, 2020. "The Emergence of Educational Hypogamy in India," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(4), pages 1215-1240, August.
    11. Rodríguez-González, Ana, 2021. "The Impact of the Female Advantage in Education on the Marriage Market," Working Papers 2021:5, Lund University, Department of Economics.
    12. Alessandra Trimarchi & Jan Van Bavel, 2017. "Pathways to marital and non-marital first birth: the role of his and her education," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 15(1), pages 143-179.
    13. Deole, Sumit S. & Zeydanli, Tugba, 2021. "Does education predict gender role attitudes?: Evidence from European datasets," GLO Discussion Paper Series 793 [rev.], Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    14. Lindsay Theunis & Christine Schnor & Didier Willaert & Jan Van Bavel, 2018. "His and Her Education and Marital Dissolution: Adding a Contextual Dimension," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 34(4), pages 663-687, October.
    15. Diederik Boertien & I aki Permanyer, 2017. "Educational assortative mating as a determinant of changing household income inequality: A 22-country study," LIS Working papers 719, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    16. Koyel Sarkar, 2022. "Can status exchanges explain educational hypogamy in India?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 46(28), pages 809-848.
    17. Margarita Chudnovskaya, 2019. "Trends in Childlessness Among Highly Educated Men in Sweden," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 35(5), pages 939-958, December.
    18. Jan Van Bavel, 2017. "What do men want? The growing importance of men’s characteristics for fertility," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 15(1), pages 041-47.
    19. Iñaki Permanyer & Diederik Boertien, 2019. "A century of change in global education variability and gender differences in education," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(2), pages 1-22, February.
    20. Jacques Silber & Sasiwimon Warunsiri Paweenawat & Lusi Liao, 2022. "On the measurement of non-random mating and of its change over time," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 161-198, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:eurpop:v:38:y:2022:i:5:d:10.1007_s10680-022-09621-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.