Relative Economic Position and Female Marriage Migration: Marrying Men in Taiwan across Borders and Boundaries

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Demography
• Migration Studies

Background:

• Cross-border marriages in Taiwan, particularly involving less educated, rural men and women from mainland China and Southeast Asia, have raised concerns about integration and disadvantage.
• Understanding educational assortative mating patterns is crucial for analyzing social dynamics in these marriages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare educational assortative mating patterns in cross-border marriages involving Taiwanese men and women from various regions (Taiwan, mainland China, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong/Macau).
• To analyze changes in these patterns over a fifteen-year period.

Main Methods:

• Utilized survey data from female marriage migrants in Taiwan (2003, 2008, 2013) and comparable data on recently married women in Taiwan.
• Employed log-linear models to analyze educational assortative mating trends.

Main Results:

• Less educated Taiwanese men showed a significant decrease in cross-border marriages with women from mainland China and, to a lesser extent, Southeast Asia over fifteen years.
• Female marriage migrants are increasingly marrying Taiwanese men with higher educational attainment compared to earlier periods.
• The decline in spatial hypergamy advantage for less educated Taiwanese men is linked to rapid economic development in mainland China and Southeast Asia.

Conclusions:

• The economic development in sending countries has altered the dynamics of cross-border marriages, reducing the marriage market advantage for less educated Taiwanese men.
• The changing patterns suggest potential future social challenges in Taiwan, particularly concerning marriage prospects for less educated men.