Parenting Across Racial and Class Lines

Assortative Mating Patterns of New Parents Who Are Married, Cohabiting, Dating or No Longer Romantically Involved

Bibliographic Data

ID2996071
AuthorsJ R Goldstein (0000-0002-5936-5464, Princeton University, corresponding author), K Harknett (0000-0001-8379-8393, California University of Pennsylvania)
Year2006
Volume85
Issue1
Pages121-143
Publication date2006-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Forces (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0037-7732 • E-ISSN: 1534-7605
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1353/sof.2006.0125
OpenAlexW2099945724
LanguageEN
Citations received54
References cited22

We examine the assortative mating patterns of new parents who are married, cohabiting, romantically involved and no longer romantically involved. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study, we find that relationship status at the time of a birth depends mainly on father's race rather than on whether mother and father's race/ethnicity differ. Crossing race/ethnic lines does not appear to have much effect on relationship transitions following a birth. Rather, parents are less likely to marry after a birth if one parent is black, and the relationships of Hispanic couples are particularly stable. Crossing educational lines has little effect on relationship status at birth, but same-education couples had a slightly lower risk of divorce following the birth

Assortative mating · Developmental psychology · Ethnic group · Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study · National Survey of Family Growth · Population · Race (biology) · Sociology · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Demography · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Gender Studies · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Psychology

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