Explaining Spatial Homogamy: Spatial, Socio-Economic and Cultural Aspects of the Partner Market in the Netherlands

Karen Haandrikman, University of Groningen
Leo van Wissen, University of Groningen and Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI)

Spatial homogamy, or the similarity concerning geographical background, is a dimension that has been underexposed in homogamy studies. This paper gives a complete picture of the level and variation of spatial homogamy in the Netherlands, and the factors influencing it. The data used is a unique set of micro data on all cohabiters in the country, including their stage in the life course, socio-economic status, and cultural resources. Explorative Spatial Data Analysis is used to detect interesting spatial patterns in spatial homogamy and to construct hypotheses on spatial regimes. With the GeoDa software, a spatial regression explains geographical variation in the spatial homogamy coefficient, taking into account demographic, socio-economic, and cultural attributes of couples. The spatial model of the partner market identifies which specific (spatial) factors explain spatial homogamy.