The remarriage market

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Demography
• Family Studies

Background:

• Remarriage patterns are influenced by socioeconomic and demographic factors.
• Understanding spouse selection in remarriage is crucial for family sociology.
• The 1970 National Fertility Survey provides valuable data on U.S. marital events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how remarriage market factors affect remarriage probability and spouse selection.
• To analyze the impact of children, education, and age at separation on remarriage.
• To determine if these factors influence the characteristics of chosen spouses.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from the 1970 U.S. National Fertility Survey.
• Statistical modeling to assess the probability and timing of remarriage.
• Examination of spouse characteristic selectivity among remarried individuals.

Main Results:

• Children, higher education, and older age at separation were associated with lower remarriage probabilities.
• These factors also correlated with longer intervals between marital events.
• Limited evidence suggested these factors significantly altered spouse characteristic selectivity.

Conclusions:

• Socioeconomic and demographic factors significantly influence remarriage likelihood and timing.
• The selection process for spouses in remarriage appears less affected by these factors.
• Further research could explore evolving remarriage market dynamics.