Recent years have seen a very marked increase in the number of transnational pairings in Italy. In this paper the authors describe the growing demographic trends concerning the transnational couples and their changing characteristics in terms of assortative mating, mainly using censuses and other official data, while survey micro data are used in order to highlight the mechanisms by which mixed couples are formed, their criteria of mate selection, and their family and fertility behaviour. The specificities of heterogamous unions that distinguish them from couples formed by partners of the same nationality (Italian and/or foreign) are examined with the help of multivariate analysis. The results show the existence of characteristics that are to be ascribed to the condition of ethnic heterogamy, net of other covariates, such as greater fragility and internal conflict, unconventional behavioural patterns, lower and later fertility. The knowledge obtained from the examination of these questions represents a useful glance in a particular path to integration of foreign communities in Italy and a useful basis for policy interventions in this sector.
Transnational couples in Italy: characteristics of partners and fertility behavior
PATERNO, Anna;
2012-01-01
Abstract
Recent years have seen a very marked increase in the number of transnational pairings in Italy. In this paper the authors describe the growing demographic trends concerning the transnational couples and their changing characteristics in terms of assortative mating, mainly using censuses and other official data, while survey micro data are used in order to highlight the mechanisms by which mixed couples are formed, their criteria of mate selection, and their family and fertility behaviour. The specificities of heterogamous unions that distinguish them from couples formed by partners of the same nationality (Italian and/or foreign) are examined with the help of multivariate analysis. The results show the existence of characteristics that are to be ascribed to the condition of ethnic heterogamy, net of other covariates, such as greater fragility and internal conflict, unconventional behavioural patterns, lower and later fertility. The knowledge obtained from the examination of these questions represents a useful glance in a particular path to integration of foreign communities in Italy and a useful basis for policy interventions in this sector.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
