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Assortative matching among same-sex and different-sex couples in the United States, 1990-2000

Author

Listed:
  • Christine Schwartz

    (University of Wisconsin–Madison)

  • Nikki Graf

    (University of Wisconsin–Madison)

Abstract

Same-sex couples are less likely to be homogamous than different-sex couples on a variety of characteristics, including race/ethnicity, age, and education. This study confirms results from previous studies using 1990 U.S. census data and extends previous analyses to examine changes from 1990 to 2000. We find that same-sex male couples are generally the least likely to resemble one another, followed by same-sex female couples, different-sex cohabitors, and different-sex married couples. Despite estimated growth in the numbers of same-sex couples in the population and the increasing acceptance of non-traditional unions, we find little evidence of diminishing differences in the resemblance of same- and different-sex couples between 1990 and 2000, with the possible exception of educational homogamy.

Suggested Citation

  • Christine Schwartz & Nikki Graf, 2009. "Assortative matching among same-sex and different-sex couples in the United States, 1990-2000," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 21(28), pages 843-878.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:21:y:2009:i:28
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2009.21.28
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christine Schwartz & Robert Mare, 2005. "Trends in educational assortative marriage from 1940 to 2003," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 42(4), pages 621-646, November.
    2. Lisa Jepsen & Christopher Jepsen, 2002. "An empirical analysis of the matching patterns of same-sex and opposite-sex couples," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 39(3), pages 435-453, August.
    3. Dan Black & Gary Gates & Seth Sanders & Lowell Taylor, 2000. "Demographics of the gay and lesbian population in the United States: Evidence from available systematic data sources," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 37(2), pages 139-154, May.
    4. Christopher Carpenter & Gary Gates, 2008. "Gay and lesbian partnership: Evidence from California," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 45(3), pages 573-590, August.
    5. Black, Dan & Gates, Gary & Sanders, Seth & Taylor, Lowell, 2002. "Why Do Gay Men Live in San Francisco?," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 54-76, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Stephen Whyte & Benno Torgler, 2016. "Assortative mating in the online market for sperm donation," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 169-194, October.
    2. Rebecca DiBennardo & Gary Gates, 2014. "Research Note: US Census Same-Sex Couple Data: Adjustments to Reduce Measurement Error and Empirical Implications," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 33(4), pages 603-614, August.
    3. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/10gq8jbaid85sben727o7nd22a is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Oreffice, Sonia, 2016. "Sexual Orientation and Marriage/Orientación sexual y Matrimonio," Estudios de Economia Aplicada, Estudios de Economia Aplicada, vol. 34, pages 7-34, Enero.
    5. Edoardo Ciscato & Alfred Galichon & Marion Goussé, 2020. "Like Attract Like? A Structural Comparison of Homogamy across Same-Sex and Different-Sex Households," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 128(2), pages 740-781.
    6. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/10gq8jbaid85sben727o7nd22a is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Edoardo Ciscato & Alfred Galichon & Marion Goussé, 2020. "Like Attract Like? A Structural Comparison of Homogamy across Same-Sex and Different-Sex Households," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 128(2), pages 740-781.
    8. Edoardo Ciscato & Simon Weber, 2020. "The role of evolving marital preferences in growing income inequality," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 33(1), pages 307-347, January.
    9. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/38n7438p68vmqd9om4bjj6l4c is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Kenneth Aarskaug Wiik & Ane Seierstad & Turid Noack, 2012. "Divorce in norwegian same-sex marriages 1993-2011," Discussion Papers 723, Statistics Norway, Research Department.
    11. Gerrit Bauer, 2016. "Gender Roles, Comparative Advantages and the Life Course: The Division of Domestic Labor in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 32(1), pages 99-128, February.
    12. Yazbeck M & Xu H & Azocar F & Ettner SL, 2020. "Spousal Peer Effects in Specialty Behavioral Health Services Use: Do Spillovers Vary by Gender, Subscriber Status and Sexual Orientation?," Discussion Papers Series 630, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.
    13. Yang Hu & Yue Qian, 2019. "Educational and age assortative mating in China: The importance of marriage order," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 41(3), pages 53-82.
    14. Rocio Garcia, 2015. "Normative Ideals, “Alternative” Realities: Perceptions of Interracial Dating among Professional Latinas and Black Women," Societies, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-24, November.
    15. Steinmetz Stephanie & Fischer Mirjam, 2019. "Surveying Persons in Same-Sex Relationships in a Probabilistic Way – An Example from the Netherlands," Journal of Official Statistics, Sciendo, vol. 35(4), pages 753-776, December.
    16. Russell Spiker, 2021. "Same-Sex, Same Health? Health Concordance Among Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 40(6), pages 1313-1340, December.
    17. Chiappori, Pierre-Andre & Fioro, Carlo & Galichon, Alfred & Verzillo, Stefano, 2022. "Assortative Matching on Income," Working Papers 2022-07, Joint Research Centre, European Commission.
    18. Karsten Hank & Martin Wetzel, 2018. "Same-sex relationship experiences and expectations regarding partnership and parenthood," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 39(25), pages 701-718.
    19. Mykel Rodriguez & Gareth Disler & Zhiying Wang & Samantha Yim & Daniel Javidi & Laureen Khalil & Juanshu Wu & Yasmine Saraf & Avital Simanian & Kimberly Venegas-Vasquez & Marissa Hensley & Joie Lynn H, 2022. "Love is Not Colorblind: An Investigation of the Racial Hierarchy of Mate Preferences," Review of European Studies, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 14(2), pages 160-160, June.
    20. Coral Río & Olga Alonso-Villar, 2019. "Occupational segregation by sexual orientation in the U.S.: exploring its economic effects on same-sex couples," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 439-467, June.
    21. Katie R. Genadek & Sarah M. Flood & Joan Garcia Roman, 2020. "Same-Sex Couples’ Shared Time in the United States," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(2), pages 475-500, April.
    22. Zhiyong Lin & Wei-hsin Yu & Kuo-Hsien Su, 2019. "Comparing same- and different-sex relationship dynamics: Experiences of young adults in Taiwan," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 40(17), pages 431-462.
    23. Humpert, Stephan, 2015. "Size and Structure of Same-Sex Couples in Germany," MPRA Paper 64529, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    assortative mating; same-sex couples; interracial unions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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