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Marriage: distance between birthplaces and age difference between mates
1Institut de Statistique, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Belgium.
Human Biology
|April 1, 1997
Summary
This study explored marriage determinants using potential mate analysis. While birthplace distance showed no significant difference, marriages with slightly older males exhibited a notable difference.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Demography
- Anthropology
Background:
- Understanding the determinants of marriage is crucial for demographic and sociological studies.
- Potential mate analysis offers a novel approach to investigate factors influencing marital choices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of birthplace distance and age difference on marriage.
- To apply a new method of potential mate analysis to a sample of actual and simulated potential mates.
Main Methods:
- A new potential mate analysis methodology was employed.
- Simulated potential mates were generated from a sequence of actual mates.
- Differences between actual and potential mates were analyzed using a logistic model and distribution comparison.
Main Results:
- The logistic model provided a poor fit for the data.
- No significant difference in birthplace distance was found between actual and potential mates in the sample.
- A marked difference was observed in marriages where the male was slightly older.
- The average birthplace distance in the sample was shorter than that observed in Great Britain.
Conclusions:
- Age difference, specifically when the male is older, appears to be a more significant factor than birthplace distance in this sample.
- The potential mate analysis methodology, while informative, requires further refinement, particularly for logistic modeling.
- Future research with larger samples is needed to confirm findings on birthplace distance and age differences in marriage patterns.
Keywords:
Age FactorsBelgiumComparative StudiesDemographic FactorsDeveloped CountriesDistanceEuropeGeographic FactorsHusband-wife ComparisonsMarital Status--determinantsMarriageMarriage PatternsMate SelectionModels, TheoreticalNorthern EuropeNuptialityPlace Of BirthPopulationPopulation CharacteristicsResearch MethodologyStudiesUnited KingdomWestern Europe
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