Binational marriages in Sweden: Is there an EU effect? Population, Space and Place, (published online

Abstract: This paper discusses trends in binational marriages, defined as marriages between natives and migrants, in Sweden. The partner market for Swedes has increased considerably in the last few decades, due to globalisation processes, increased diversity of the migration stock, and in the light of EU expansion. The paper examines whether there is an effect of EU accession on the tendency for native Swedes to marry binationally. As previous studies have argued that it is especially the educated middle class who have more opportunities to meet partners abroad, the socio-economic status of those involved in binational marriages is examined. Using full-population register data for the period 1991-2008, a systematic comparison between natives marrying EU partners versus natives marrying non-EU partners is conducted, focusing both on the native and the foreign partner. I find that the share of binational marriages has increased over time, with the increase largely attributable to an increase in marriages to partners from outside the EU. However, compared to marriages to partners from neighbouring countries, natives have increasingly married EU15 partners. Patterns of binational marriages are highly gender-specific. While Finland is the most popular recruitment area for foreign husbands, Thai wives have superseded Finnish wives. Multivariate analyses show that all types of binational marriages are common in border areas, and that there is an urban effect. I find some evidence that partners in Swedish-EU couples are higher educated, but this is also true for foreign partners from the new countries of the EU and from outside the EU

Segregatie in Stockholm en Amsterdam – Overeenkomsten en verschillen [Segregation in Stockholm and Amsterdam – Similarities and differences]

De afgelopen jaren heb ik vanuit Stockholms Universiteit een internationaal project geleid waarin we op een innovatieve manier segregatie meten, om segregatie tussen steden en landen te kunnen vergelijken, en om te kunnen onderzoeken wat de oorzaken en gevolgen van segregatie zijn. Voor de Hollandse Nieuwtjes vergelijk ik sociaal-economische segregatie in Amsterdam en Stockholm

Bi-national marriages in Sweden: Is there an EU effect?

This paper discusses trends in binational marriages, defined as marriages between natives and migrants, in Sweden. The partner market for Swedes has increased considerably in the last few decades, due to globalisation processes, increased diversity of the migration stock, and in the light of EU expansion. The paper examines whether there is an effect of EU accession on the tendency for native Swedes to marry binationally. As previous studies have argued that it is especially the educated middle class who have more opportunities to meet partners abroad, the socio-economic status of those involved in binational marriages is examined. Using full-population register data for the period 1991-2008, a systematic comparison between natives marrying EU partners versus natives marrying non-EU partners is conducted, focusing both on the native and the foreign partner. I find that the share of binational marriages has increased over time, with the increase largely attributable to an increase in marriages to partners from outside the EU. However, compared to marriages to partners from neighbouring countries, natives have increasingly married EU15 partners. Patterns of binational marriages are highly gender-specific. While Finland is the most popular recruitment area for foreign husbands, Thai wives have superseded Finnish wives. Multivariate analyses show that all types of binational marriages are common in border areas, and that there is an urban effect. I find some evidence that partners in Swedish-EU couples are higher educated, but this is also true for foreign partners from the new countries of the EU and from outside the EU.SIMSA

De geografische dimensie van partnerkeuze [The geographical dimension of partner choice].

De meeste mensen kiezen ‘ruimtelijk homogame’ partners: ze vinden een partner in hun omgeving. Dit artikel beschrijft in welke mate Nederlanders een samenwoonpartner kiezen die in de buurt woont. Mensen met een hoge sociaaleconomische status vinden hun partners verder weg dan mensen met een lage sociaaleconomische status. Andere kenmerken die samenhangen met een partner op grotere afstand zijn een hogere leeftijd, alleenwonen en gescheiden zijn. Regionale verschillen in ruimtelijke homogamie lijken te duiden op regionale culturele verschillen, waarbij de kortste afstanden worden gevonden in hechte gemeenschappen met een specifieke religie en/of dialect

Segregatie in Stockholm en Amsterdam – Overeenkomsten en verschillen [Segregation in Stockholm and Amsterdam – Similarities and differences]

De afgelopen jaren heb ik vanuit Stockholms Universiteit een internationaal project geleid waarin we op een innovatieve manier segregatie meten, om segregatie tussen steden en landen te kunnen vergelijken, en om te kunnen onderzoeken wat de oorzaken en gevolgen van segregatie zijn. Voor de Hollandse Nieuwtjes vergelijk ik sociaal-economische segregatie in Amsterdam en Stockholm

Supermovers? : Childhood internal mobility in Sweden

Sweden is known for its high residential mobility rates, especially among families.  Moving in childhood may be associated with negative health and educational outcomes in adulthood, and effects tend to be larger for children who move frequently. Moving frequently is more common among children in families experiencing instability, poverty and with a migrant background. This paper is concerned with supermovers, children who move three times or more in childhood, in Sweden. The aim is to examine the extent to which recent cohorts of children are supermovers, and whether the frequency of moves is associated to migrant background, family stability and parental socioeconomic status. We also explore whether supermovers are more likely to move longer distances and move to worse neighbourhoods compared to those moving once or twice, as this might exacerbate the impact on later-life outcomes for these children. We use longitudinal register data, comparing the cohorts of children born in 1990 and 2000, following them from age 0 to 16. We find that it is very common for children to move: more than 70 percent of children moves at least once, while about a quarter of children can be labelled as supermovers across cohorts. Children with a migrant background, especially those from the Middle East, are more likely to be supermovers than other children, and are more likely to move longer distances. Children experiencing parental union dissolution are not only more likely to move but also to move very frequently. Socioeconomically disadvantaged children are more often supermovers, while children with high educated parents more often move a few times. Children move at all ages, but especially so before starting primary school. Most children move to better neighbourhoods, though supermovers are more likely to move to lower income neighbourhoods. Together, there are signs of childhood mobility being stratified by migrant background, family instability and parental socioeconomic status, implying that children in vulnerable situations face additional instability due to moving very frequently

Soort zoekt soort. Ontmoetingsplaatsen van partners [Like likes like. Meeting places of partners)

De meeste mensen ontmoeten hun partner via uitgaan of vakantie. Dit geldt vooral voor jongeren, laag opgeleiden, rooms-katholieken en mensen die in perifere gebieden wonen. Verschillende sociale groepen kiezen hun eigen ontmoetingsplaatsen, en beïnvloeden daarmee hun partnerkeuze

Nederlandse life style migranten : Waar wonen de meeste Nederlanders?

A large share of Dutch emigrants to Sweden settles in less urban areas. The article gives an overview of the places of residence of Dutch people in Sweden. In addition, it zooms into some of these life style migrants.Migrant Trajectorie