Abstract
Although local context is considered a key factor shaping differences in the age at marriage between spouses, spatially explicit investigations of the gender gap in marriage timing were scarce in Europe, especially in more traditional societies. The present study analyses the spatial distribution of the gender age gap at marriage in Greece, a country experiencing a late demographic transition compared with other European societies. Analysis of prefecture-level data between 1980 and 2017 indicates a continuous increase in the age at marriage, with a moderate reduction in the gender age gap (5 and 3 years respectively in 1980 and 2017). While in the early 1980s age differentials at marriage between men and women diverged in rural and urban areas, a reduced gender gap and greater spatial heterogeneity were observed in 2017, indicating social modernization in most rural communities. These findings highlight the role of local contexts in shaping attitudes toward marriage postponement in Greece, suggesting that the spatial diffusion of marriage homogamy—as an indicator of social change—is influenced by the emergence of ‘permeable’ and ‘resistant’ communities with characteristic socioeconomic profiles. Going beyond the traditional urban–rural divide, space has become an important mediator of gender power dynamics, evidencing the progressive fragmentation of social processes and the increasing heterogeneity of the related demographic patterns at the local community scale. Spatial analysis contributes to delineate such complex processes, integrating results from approaches that assess individual behaviors with a refined investigation of macro-scale patterns of change.
Highlights
With modernization and globalization, heterogeneous population dynamics over time and space have characterized contemporary societies, resulting in new types of households and lifestyles (Martin 1992; Lee and Reher 2001; Lee 2003; Blue and Espenshade 2011)
Assuming gender gap in the age at marriage as a relevant variable depending on local contexts—and illustrating urban–rural polarizations likely being better than other demographic indicators (Hogan 1978; Oppenheimer 1988; Jones and Gubhaju 2009)—the present study investigates spatial variability in gender differentials in the age at marriage in Greece (Kotzamanis et al 2017)
The results of our study indicate a progressive reduction in the gender age gap at marriage in most of Greek prefectures
Summary
Heterogeneous population dynamics over time and space have characterized contemporary societies, resulting in new types of households and lifestyles (Martin 1992; Lee and Reher 2001; Lee 2003; Blue and Espenshade 2011). Beyond decreasing fertility and aging, demographic transitions were considered “a pathway to change” leading to a delay in marriage (Billari and Kohler 2004; Rindfuss et al 2004; Morgan and Taylor 2006; Kreyenfeld et al 2012; Balbo et al 2013; Sobotka et al 2017). Social homogamy (i.e., marriage between individuals with comparable socio-demographic features: Burgess and Wallin 1943), is a relatively common pattern in many countries, and is sometimes reflective of declining social openness. Age homogamy (i.e., marriage between individuals of similar ages) is considered one of the most diffused forms of homogamy
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