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Intermarriage, Value Context and Union Dissolution: Sweden 1990–2005

Mariage mixte, contexte des valeurs et rupture d’union: Suède 1990–2005

European Journal of Population / Revue européenne de Démographie volume 28, pages 139–158 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

This article analyzes the connection between exogamy and union dissolution using individual level register data for native Swedes and immigrants in Sweden. We study both married and cohabiting unions, from the birth of the first child until dissolution (N = 403,294). Event history models are employed to study the association between type of union and value dissimilarity between spouses on the one hand, and union dissolution, on the other, controlling for human capital and demographic characteristics. The results are in line with the exogamy hypothesis; that mixed unions face higher dissolution risks than endogamous unions. We also find support for the value dissimilarity hypothesis; that the disruptive effect of exogamy increases with the degree of value context dissimilarity between partners. Finally, the results corroborate the gender difference hypothesis; that the effects on union dissolution of exogamy and value context dissimilarity depend on the gender of the immigrant in exogamous unions.

Résumé

Cet article analyse les relations entre exogamie et rupture d’union à partir de données de registres pour les suédois de naissance et les immigrés en Suède. L’étude porte sur les mariages et les cohabitations, de la naissance du premier enfant jusqu’à la rupture d’union (N = 403 294). Des modèles biographiques sont utilisés pour étudier l’association entre les types d’union et la dissemblance des valeurs entre époux d’une part, et les ruptures d’union d’autre part, en contrôlant les caractéristiques démographiques et de capital humain. Les résultats vont dans le sens de l’hypothèse d’exogamie, les unions mixtes connaissant des risques de rupture d’union plus élevés que les unions endogames. Nos résultats appuient également l’hypothèse de dissemblance des valeurs selon laquelle l’effet perturbateur de l’exogamie augmente avec le degré de dissemblance du contexte des valeurs entre les partenaires. Enfin, les résultats corroborent l’hypothèse des différences de genre, selon laquelle les effets de l’exogamie et de dissemblance du contexte des valeurs sur la rupture d’union dépendent du genre de l’immigré dans les unions exogames.

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Acknowledgments

This study is part of the project “Partner Choice and Career” financed by the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (FAS). Previous versions were presented at the Population Association of America, Dallas, April 2010, the Nordic Demographic Symposium, Lund, June 2010, the CEIFO, Gothenburg, September 2010, and the Centre for Economic Demography, Lund University, December 2010. We are grateful to participants at these events, for comments and suggestions. We are also grateful to the two anonymous reviewers for their helpful suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Economic Demography and Department of Economic History, Lund University, P.O. Box 7083, 220 07, Lund, Sweden

    Martin Dribe

  2. Department of Economic History, University of Gothenburg, P.O. Box 720, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden

    Christer Lundh

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  1. Martin Dribe
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  2. Christer Lundh
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Correspondence to Martin Dribe.

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Dribe, M., Lundh, C. Intermarriage, Value Context and Union Dissolution: Sweden 1990–2005. Eur J Population 28, 139–158 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10680-011-9253-y

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Keywords

  • Intermarriage
  • Union dissolution
  • Immigrant integration
  • Value dissimilarity

Mots-clés

  • Mariage mixte
  • Rupture d’union
  • Intégration des immigrants
  • Dissemblance des valeurs