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Homogamy in socio-economic background and education, and the dissolution of cohabiting unions

Author

Listed:
  • Elina Mäenpää

    (Helsingin Yliopisto (University of Helsinki))

  • Marika Jalovaara

    (Turun Yliopisto (University of Turku))

Abstract

Background: Despite the increasing prevalence of cohabitation, knowledge of how socio-economic homogamy affects the stability of cohabiting unions is scant. Few studies have compared the effects of homogamy in both ascribed and achieved socio-economic status on union dissolution. Objective: Our aim is to determine how homogamy and heterogamy in educational level and parental social class affect the risk of cohabitation dissolution in Finland. Methods: We use unique Finnish register data that includes information on non-marital cohabitation. Cox regression is used to analyse the risk of dissolution in 20,452 cohabitations. We examine the dissolution rates in all possible combinations of partner status, and analyse how these estimates deviate from the main effects of each partner’s status. Results: According to the findings, homogamy in parental social class is of little consequence in cohabitation dissolution, although cohabitations between people from upper-white-collar and farmer families are disproportionately likely to dissolve. Educational differences between partners are more significant determinants of cohabitation stability: extreme heterogamy is associated with an increased separation risk, and homogamy decreases the separation risk among cohabitors with a higher university degree. Conclusions: In line with the perception that personal achievement is more significant than social origins in contemporary union dynamics, similarity in educational level increases cohabitation stability more than similarity in socio-economic origin. Although previous Nordic studies report little or no association between educational homogamy or heterogamy and marriage dissolution, our study shows that educational differences do matter in cohabiting unions.

Suggested Citation

  • Elina Mäenpää & Marika Jalovaara, 2014. "Homogamy in socio-economic background and education, and the dissolution of cohabiting unions," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 30(65), pages 1769-1792.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:30:y:2014:i:65
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2014.30.65
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Marika Jalovaara, 2003. "The joint effects of marriage partners’ socioeconomic positions on the risk of divorce," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 40(1), pages 67-81, February.
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    Cited by:

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    3. 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.
    4. Elina Vinberg & Rannveig Kaldager Hart & Torkild H. Lyngstad, 2015. "Increasingly stable or more stressful? Children and union dissolution across four decades Evidence from Norway," Discussion Papers 814, Statistics Norway, Research Department.
    5. 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.
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    8. Natalie Nitsche & Alessandra Trimarchi & Marika Jalovaara, 2020. "The power of two: second birth rate differences between couples with homogamous and heterogamous educational pairings," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2020-029, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    9. Elena Bastianelli & Raffaele Guetto & Daniele Vignoli, 2023. "The changing socioeconomic gradient in the dissolution of marriage and cohabitation: Evidence from a latecomer of the Second Demographic Transition," Econometrics Working Papers Archive 2023_03, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Statistica, Informatica, Applicazioni "G. Parenti".
    10. Jennifer A. Holland & Kenneth Aarskaug Wiik & Lars Dommermuth, 2018. "Transitions from first unions among immigrants and their descendants. The role of partner choice," Discussion Papers 887, Statistics Norway, Research Department.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    cohabitation; Nordic countries; registry data; homogamy; educational level; union dissolution; socioeconomic background; heterogamy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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