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Like Attract Like? A Structural Comparison of Homogamy across Same-Sex and Different-Sex Households

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  • Edoardo Ciscato
  • Alfred Galichon
  • Marion Goussé

Abstract

In this paper, we extend Gary Becker’s empirical analysis of the marriage market to same-sex couples. We build an equilibrium model of the same-sex marriage market that allows for straightforward identification of the gains of marriage. We estimate the model with 2008–12 American Community Survey data on California and find that positive assortative mating is weaker for same-sex couples than for different-sex couples with respect to age and race. Positive assortative mating on education is stronger among female same-sex couples but comparable for male same-sex and different-sex couples. As regards labor market outcomes, our results suggest that specialization within the household mainly applies to different-sex couples.

Suggested Citation

  • Edoardo Ciscato & Alfred Galichon & Marion Goussé, 2020. "Like Attract Like? A Structural Comparison of Homogamy across Same-Sex and Different-Sex Households," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 128(2), pages 740-781.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jpolec:doi:10.1086/704611
    DOI: 10.1086/704611
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    Cited by:

    1. Shuai Chen & Jan C. van Ours, 2022. "Mental health effects of same‐sex marriage legalization," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(1), pages 42-56, January.
    2. Pierre-André Chiappori & Edoardo Ciscato & Carla Guerriero, 2020. "Analyzing Matching Patterns in Marriage: Theory and Application to Italian Data," Working Papers 2020-080, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    3. Kenza Elass, 2022. "The multiple dimensions of selection into employment," AMSE Working Papers 2219, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France.
    4. Tim Obermeier, 2023. "Individual Welfare Analysis: A tale of consumption, time use and preference heterogeneity," POID Working Papers 082, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    5. Douglas W. Allen & Shih En Lu, 2017. "Matching, marriage, and children: differences across sexual orientations," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 527-547, June.
    6. Redpath, Connor, 2022. "Spousal Visa Policy and Mixed-Citizenship Couples: Evidence from the End of the Defense Of Marriage Act," SocArXiv mzuwe, Center for Open Science.
    7. Obermeier, Tim, 2022. "Individual Welfare Analysis: What's the Role of Intra-Family Preference Heterogeneity?," VfS Annual Conference 2022 (Basel): Big Data in Economics 264101, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    8. Simon Weber, 2017. "Family, marriage markets and inequality : a matching approach [Famille, marché du mariage et inégalités : l'approche par les modèles d'appariement]," SciencePo Working papers tel-03436364, HAL.
    9. Pierre-André Chiappori & Alfred Galichon & Bernard Salanié, 2019. "On Human Capital and Team Stability," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 13(2), pages 236-259.
    10. Simon Weber, 2017. "Family, marriage markets and inequality : a matching approach [Famille, marché du mariage et inégalités : l'approche par les modèles d'appariement]," SciencePo Working papers Main tel-03436364, HAL.
    11. Pierre-Andr'e Chiappori & Alfred Galichon & Bernard Salani'e, 2021. "On Human Capital and Team Stability," Papers 2102.06487, arXiv.org.
    12. Kenza Elass, 2022. "The multiple dimensions of selection into employment," French Stata Users' Group Meetings 2022 06, Stata Users Group.
    13. Kenza Elass, 2022. "The multiple dimensions of selection into employment," Working Papers hal-03788508, HAL.
    14. Barbara Downs & Lucia Foster & Rachel Nesbit & Danielle H. Sandler, 2023. "Same-Sex Couples and the Child Earnings Penalty," Working Papers 23-25, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    15. Alfred Galichon & Bernard Salani'e, 2021. "Cupid's Invisible Hand: Social Surplus and Identification in Matching Models," Papers 2106.02371, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2023.
    16. Alfred Galichon & Simon Weber, 2024. "Matching under Imperfectly Transferable Utility," Papers 2403.05222, arXiv.org.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior
    • C51 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Construction and Estimation
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination

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