Educational Homogamy of Married and Unmarried Couples in English and French Canada

Abstract

This study investigates the relative similarity of educational assortative mating patterns among young married and cohabiting couples using Canadian census data from 1991, 1996, and 2001. It contrasts the patterns observed in Quebec with those observed elsewhere in Canada, as these regions display very different demographic trends, especially with respect to cohabitation. First, we hypothesize that the gap between married and unmarried couples will be smaller in Quebec, as cohabitation is more common in this province. Second, we suggest that the double-selection hypothesis predicting higher educational homogamy among married couples should be more appropriate to explain the behaviours observed in Canada outside of Quebec, whereas the utilitarian theory predicting higher educational homogamy among cohabiting couples should apply better to the French province situation. The results fully support our first hypothesis. However, the analyses do not unambiguously confirm our second hypothesis concerning the direction of the differences. Even though we find that married couples living outside of Quebec generally display higher levels of educational homogamy than cohabiting partners, no clear trend is observed in Quebec. In addition, our data do not reveal any clear change over the period considered. Résumé. Cet article examine le degré d’homogamie éducative des jeunes couples mariés et en union libre à partir des données du recensement canadien de 2001. Il compare les comportements des couples québécois à ceux observés ailleurs au Canada, compte tenu de l’évolution différente qu’ont connue ces deux régions, particulièrement en regard des unions libres. Dans un premier temps, nous faisons l’hypothèse que l’écart entre couples mariés et cohabitants sera plus faible au Québec, l’union libre étant plus répandue dans cette province. En deuxième lieu, nous suggérons que l’hypothèse de la «double-sélection» prédisant un plus haut niveau d’homogamie éducative chez les couples mariés est plus appropriée pour rendre compte des comportements observés au Canada en dehors du Québec, alors que la théorie utilitariste prédisant une homogamie éducative plus grande parmi les couples en union libre colle davantage à la situation de la province francophone. Les résultats de l’analyse ne confirment pas nos hypothèses. L’écart qui sépare mariage et union libre est relativement semblable dans les deux régions du pays et les couples cohabitants affichent dans l’ensemble un niveau d’homogamie plus faible que leurs homologues mariés.

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