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Mixed-Nativity Marriages: a Marker of Immigrants' Integration or Marginality in the Host Countries? Evidence from Italy

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  • Davide Azzolini
  • Raffaele Guetto

Abstract

Taking up an assimilation hypothesis, the growth of mixed-nativity marriages documented in many developed countries is often regarded as an indicator of immigrants' integration in the receiving societies. We contend that an alternative theoretical approach could enrich our understanding of the complex link between integration (or, assimilation) and intermarriages. Precisely, we build on theories on assortative mating to investigate the salience of status exchange in the formation of mixed-nativity unions in Italy. The country is a new destination of international migration characterised by particularly poor immigrants' socioeconomic integration. In line with recent empirical evidence emerging from other countries, like Australia, the US and Spain, we provide sound evidence in support of the status exchange hypothesis in Italy. Exploiting Italian Labor Force Survey data and unique register microdata on marriages, we find mixed-nativity marriages to be more likely when less educated older men marry better educated younger women, especially when the latter originate from non-Western countries. Foreign women are also more likely to marry an Italian man if they are not employed. These patterns become more similar when women possess the Italian citizenship at the moment of marriage, confirming the salience of status exchange when immigrants' integration is low.

Suggested Citation

  • Davide Azzolini & Raffaele Guetto, 2014. "Mixed-Nativity Marriages: a Marker of Immigrants' Integration or Marginality in the Host Countries? Evidence from Italy," FBK-IRVAPP Working Papers 2014-03, Research Institute for the Evaluation of Public Policies (IRVAPP), Bruno Kessler Foundation.
  • Handle: RePEc:fbk:wpaper:2014-03
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Choi, Kate H. & Tienda, Marta & Cobb-Clark, Deborah & Sinning, Mathias, 2011. "Immigration and Status Exchange in Australia and the United States," Ruhr Economic Papers 261, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
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    5. Alicia Adserà & Ana Ferrer, 2014. "Immigrants and Demography: Marriage, Divorce, and Fertility," Working Papers 1401, University of Waterloo, Department of Economics, revised Jan 2014.
    6. David Glowsky, 2007. "Why Do German Men Marry Women from Less Developed Countries?: An Analysis of Transnational Partner Search Based on the German Socio-Economic Panel," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 61, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    7. Delia Furtado & Nikolaos Theodoropoulos, 2011. "Interethnic marriage: a choice between ethnic and educational similarities," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 24(4), pages 1257-1279, October.
    8. Hill Kulu & Amparo González-Ferrer, 2014. "Family Dynamics Among Immigrants and Their Descendants in Europe: Current Research and Opportunities," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 30(4), pages 411-435, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Elisa Barbiano di Belgiojoso & Eralba Cela & Stefania Maria Lorenza Rimoldi, 2022. "The Effect of Migration Experiences on Wellbeing Among Ageing Migrants in Italy," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 161(2), pages 553-579, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Assimilation; Integration; Mixed-nativity marriages;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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