The diverse geographies of mixed-ethnicity couples

Abstract

The geographical distribution of mixed-ethnicity (or mixed-race) couples is an important indicator of the spatial dimensions of cultural ‘mixing’ in a given society. A small number of studies have mapped the residential geographies of mixed-ethnicity couples, revealing distinctive residential patterns that differ from those of each partner’s respective ethnic group. Most such analyses have adopted broad pan-ethnic or racial categories (e.g. ‘black-white’, ‘white-Asian’). The Australian Census – which eschews broad racial categories – provides an opportunity to explore the unique residential geographies of different ‘types’ of mixed-ethnicity couples . Using customised 2011 Census data, this paper maps the residential geographies of diverse mixed-ethnicity couples in Australia’s most populous cities: Sydney and Melbourne. We focus on couples where one partner nominated ‘Anglo-European’ ancestry and the other nominated one of five ‘minority’ ancestries. Our findings highlight the value in disaggregating the coarse pan-ethnic or racial groupings adopted in some existing studies, and prescribed in some national censuses. The residential geographies of mixed-ethnicity couples challenge established perspectives on urban ethnic landscapes. As these couples grow in number, particularly in immigrant societies, they have the potential to fundamentally reshape established ethnic residential geographies away from patterns of residential segregation. Fine-grained analyses such as ours provide scope to explore the myriad directions in which these shifts will unfurl. They also provide a starting point for better understanding the preferences and pressures that shape the residential geographies of diverse mixed-ethnicity couples.

Changes in mixed ethnicity households and neighbourhood transitions in England and Wales

“…Navigating these issues is thus fraught, but there is no question that more people are facing these challenges today than just a few decades ago. Social attitudes towards ethnic mixing in partnering and households have relaxed, and these have translated into greater levels of mixing in all walks of life-work, school/university, leisure and residential environs-increasing the odds of the formation of mixed romantic partnerships and other relationships (Tindale & Klocker, 2018). The explosive growth of dating and roommate apps have extended the possibilities for encounter with people outside one's ethnic group, beyond these physical realms (Rosenfeld & Thomas, 2012).…”

“…Most existing studies of ethnic segregation (and diversity) do not account for the fact that the majority of adults share households with others. Research in the United States and Australia shows that mixed-ethnicity households have meaningful effects on aggregate levels of segregation, and changes in segregation over time (Ellis et al, 2007(Ellis et al, , 2012Tindale & Klocker, 2018). The limited consideration of the household as a unit of analysis in studies of diversity and segregation in a UK context may have masked important social and spatial processes.…”

Internal migration, group size, and ethnic endogamy in Indonesia

“…Studies of marriage pairing across societies underscore a predominant pattern of assortative mating—a tendency for an individual to partner with someone who shares similar group characteristics such as race, ethnicity, religion, and social class (Morgan, 1979; Tindale & Klocker, 2018). This tendency to marry your like echoes the idea that coupling behaviour is far from random.…”