Racial, Educational, and Religious Endogamy In the United States: A Comparative Historical Perspective

This paper draws broad comparisons between marriage patterns by race, by education, and by religion in the U.S. for the entire 20th century, using a variety of data sources. The comparative approach allows several general conclusions. First, racial endogamy has declined sharply over the 20th century, but race is still the most powerful division in the marriage market. Second, higher education has little effect on racial endogamy for blacks and whites. Third, the division between Jews and Christians is still strong, but the division between Catholics and Protestants in the marriage market has been relatively weak since the early 20th century. Fourth, educational endogamy has been relatively stable over time.

Reference Information

Author: 

Michael J. Rosenfeld
Publisher: 
Social Forces
Publication Date: 
January 2008