Marriage Patterns of the Foreign-Born Population in a New Country of Immigration: The Case of Spain

Abstract

We use 2001 Spanish census microdata and multivariate logistic regression analysis to explore differences in marriage patterns between the foreign-born population in Spain, a country that has experienced a dramatic increase in international migration rates in the last decade. In particular, we examine separately the prevalence of being in a consensual and in an endogamous union for a selected and representative group of origins. Results show that after controlling for individual and union characteristics, major differences in cohabitation between groups disappear while major differences in endogamy prevail. This suggests that, when appropriate data are available, future research should take into account contextual factors.

Educational Sorting in Mixed Marriages in Switzerland

“…This means that better educated immigrants have higher propensities of marrying natives than their lower educated counterparts, and that their level of studies often surpasses the level of their native spouse (Trilla et al 2008;Guetto and Azzolini 2015;Maffioli et al 2014). These findings align to the predictions of status-caste exchange theory (Davis 1941;Merton 1941).…”

Partnership dynamics across generations of immigration in France: Structural vs. cultural factors

“…They show that most immigrant groups tend to marry earlier than the natives and are less prone to cohabit (Lesthaeghe and Surkyn 1995, Bernhardt et al 2007, Kulu et al 2014. In line with the socialization hypothesis, the spread of cohabitation among immigrants depends on norms and practices that prevail in the countries of origin (Cortina Trilla, Esteve, and Domingo 2008). Thus both the socialization and assimilation hypotheses explain their partnership formation pattern: immigrants create a new family life that is influenced by both past cultural customs and the ways of the new country, but that also differs from both (Foner 1997).…”

Partnership dynamics among migrants and their descendants in Estonia

“…Support for the selectivity hypothesis also comes from a more recent study of union formation among migrants to Spain (Trilla, Esteve, and Domingo 2008). The authors found that a major part of differences in partnership patterns between migrants and natives can be explained away by individual and couple characteristics.…”