Marriage system in the Italo-Albanians

The Italo-Albanian ethno-linguistic minority, living in 9 provinces of Southern Italy, has shown an increase of intermarriages with native Italian speaking individuals for the last decades of the 20th century. Marriage data was obtained through direct interviews of families of primary school students (6–13 years old). The information collected consisted of the birth place of parents and grandparents of each informant. The percentage values of intermarriages are about 25 in grandparents and 40 in parents.     

The role of marriage rules in the structure of genetic relatedness

In this work, we take a forward in time approach to compute the probabilities of non-identity by descent for a population consisting of n sections obeying one of a class of marriage rules that is invariant under cyclical relabeling of sections. A perturbation method allows for exact asymptotics using the reciprocal of the section population as a small parameter. The analysis yields relatedness measures that generalize Wright's F-statistics.     

Role of obesity in differences in cervical cancer screening rates by migration history. The CONSTANCES survey

BackgroundImmigrant women often have lower cervical cancer screening (CCS) rates, tend to have a higher body mass index (BMI) and may be more vulnerable to BMI-related stigmatization. Our aim was to assess the role of BMI in differences in CCS rates by migration history.MethodsAnalyses were based on the 2012–2015 inclusion data (n = 27,226) for the population-based CONSTANCES cohort, including detailed, self-reported information on demographics and socioeconomic characteristics, migration history, health behaviours, health, and health care use. Measured BMI (underweight (<18.5), normal-weight (18.5–25), overweight (25–30), obese (>30)) was collected. Poisson regression models with robust variance were conducted to assess the contribution of BMI to differences in CCS rates by migration history, and analyses stratified by BMI were done. Multiple imputations were performed.ResultsThe CCS rates ranged from 87% among French-born women with two French parents to 86% among French-born women with at least one parent of foreign origin, 82% among naturalized immigrants and 74% among non-naturalized immigrants. After adjusting for covariates, non-naturalized immigrants showed an 11% (95% CI: 8%–14%) lower CCS rate than French-born women with two French parents. Adjusting for BMI did not change the estimates. When stratifying by BMI category, non-naturalized immigrants showed an 11% (7%–14%) lower CCS rate then French-born with two French parents when normal weight, a 9% (2%–16%) lower CCS rate when overweight, and an 18% (5%–30%) lower CCS rate when obese.ConclusionMigration history and BMI jointly impact CCS rates. They were lower among all non-naturalized immigrants, particularly those who were obese.     

The value of male height in the marriage market

Analyzing the Indonesian Family Life Survey 2007, this paper estimates the value of relative height (relative to the spouse's height) in the marriage market of a developing country. The results indicate that the value of a 1 cm reduction in the husband's height relative to his wife's height is about 3% of his earnings. 3% of the mean of yearly earnings amounts to Rp. 492,000 or US$54 in 2007. That value is reduced to 1% when earnings-generating attributes are controlled for. This difference of 2% points can be considered the value that women attach to their husbands’ earnings-generating attributes; meanwhile, the remaining 1% suggests that there are still other attributes that women look for in male height.     

Characterization of the marriage structure and migration in Chuvash population]

Parameters of the marriage structure and migration were analyzed on the basis of marriage records in the Kanash, Cheboksary, and Morgaushi raions of the Chuvash Republic. Ethnic assortiveness was not detected in Chuvashes and was 4.16-18.05 in Russians. Gene flow between Chuvashes and Russians was 5.1-8.3%; the degree of endogamy was 0.61-0.70.     

Marital mobility in populations of the High Aran Valley

The analysis of 2.623 marriage certificates in the towns in the High Aran Valley shows marriage mobility between the years 1650 and 1990 and indicates the level of population's endogamy. The results from the data collected in the town of Arties are presented as an example. The distribution of the places of origin of spouses and a factor analysis show a remarkable geographical endogamy until 1940. The results from marriage mobility are confirmed by data from blood polymorphism studies, matrimonial dispensations and surnames.     

Population structure in the Connecticut Valley. I. Marital migration

This study reports on an analysis of marital migration among 12 communities in the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts during the years 1790-1849. Genetic inferences are drawn, and the requisite assumptions considered. The effect of geographic distance on genetic kinship is predicted using Malécot's isolation-by-distance model. The resulting estimates are discussed in terms of geographic and historical factors. The configuration of communities as predicted by kinship values approximates closely their actual geographic locations. Estimated genetic heterogeneity was low for the historical Connecticut Valley population, and community isolation breaks down rapidly over time. The region thus assumes its place among a number of sedentary, agricultural populations for which the isolation-by-distance model provides an adequate representation. A regression analysis which includes variables in addition to distance indicates that historical and economic factors contribute some additional explanatory power to the distribution of mating frequencies.     

Comparing the role of the height of men and women in the marriage market

This paper explores how the role of men and women’s height in the marriage market has changed across generations. Using individual-level data from Japan, we compared the effect of height on marriages between men and women, and investigated how the effect of height on marriage has changed across generations. Our key findings are: (1) for men born before 1965, a 1% increase in height led to an approximately 0.56% increase in the probability of being married. Conversely, for women born before 1965, a 1% increase in height led to an approximately 0.56% decrease in the probability of being married. (2) For men born in or after 1965, a 1% increase in height led to an approximately 1.05% (0.18%) increase (decrease) in the probability of being married (divorced). However, the height effect was not present for women. Japan experienced astounding economic development after World War II, which resulted in changes in its economic and social structure. These changes may have also altered the role of height for Japanese men and women in the marriage market.     

Changes in marriage seasonality among some european rural populations

The preservation or the change of the population structure is often strictly related to the acquisition or loss of behavioural models: the choice of the wedding period is among them. Analysing the period in which people marry, it is possible to point out modifications in the economy, in the work calendar and it also can be helpful to determine the importance of religious traditions. In this work, the authors study the marriage seasonality of nine rural European populations in France, Spain and Italy and its evolution during the last two centuries. The research has allowed to point out three different patterns of marriage seasonality: the Autumn marriage, the Winter marriage and populations with no remarkable seasonal variations. The first distribution results from the combination of work calendar, harsh climate in winter and religious traditions (the month of May consacrated to Maria, the Lent and Advent period), while the second one is due mostly to summer migrations. The importance of these factors tend to reduce during the XX century, making the distributions more homogeneous.     

The marriage migration characteristics of the Rostov oblast population

Marriage records have been used to study the marriage migration structure of five raions of the Rostov oblast. The mean ethnic marriage assortativeness in the Russian and Ukrainian rural populations are 1.16 and 1.6, respectively. The endogamy index of the urban population varies from 0.19 to 0.34; and that of the rural population, from 0.21 to 0.54. Malecot's isolation by distance parameters have been calculated. Genetic landscapes have been constructed.     

Rational subjects, marriage counselling and the conundrums of eugenics

Against the background of degeneration and the perceived threat to the nation's health and stock, family politics came to constitute an important site for eugenic discourses and interventions. Eugenic regulation of reproductive sexuality and marriage was not only pursued through 'negative' eugenics but also through educational policies targeted at young adults and youth. Switzerland serves as a useful case to explore a general idea, namely the limitations for eugenicists of exploiting the concept of a rational subject in order to achieve their ends. Practices of 'positive eugenics' crucially hinged on the utilitarian principle of rationality underpinning positive eugenics which this paper seeks to elaborate. Eugenicists devised tools to deal efficiently with social problems on a collective as well as an individual basis by deploying technologies of government which conceived individuals to be members of a population who were each held responsible for the generation of healthy future generations. As a form of 'sustaining, multiplying and ordering life' eugenics thus relied on the premise that its ideas would be adopted through an appeal to rationality and, where this was insufficient, through a series of coercive measures. Relying on conviction and education about the merits of eugenics, however, posed particular problems to positive eugenic thinking and practice.     

Seed migration and the structure of plant populations

Summary We use chemical typing to compare sub-populations of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) growing in the channels of several ravines where seed migration is expected from sub-populations on the plateu to associated basin subpopulations. The results indicate that seed migration does occur. However, there is little effective gene flow between sub-populations. We discuss the implications of restricted gene flow for population dynamics and structure.     

The effect of marriage migration on the genetic structure of the Taimyr Nganasan population: genealogical analysis inferred from MtDNA markers

The marriage structure of Nganasans during the time period from 1796 to 1991 and genealogy of carriers of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes was studied in a sample of 280 individuals. It was shown that, from the beginning of its formation to the late 1970s, the population exhibited high endogamy (1976, 83.8%; 1926, 88.4%; 1976, 74.3%). The main source of traditional marriage migration (preferentially female) was populations of Entsy and, indirectly, Nentsy. Intense assimilation of Nganasans by the immigrant population, and to a lesser extent, by Dolgans, in the second half of the 20th century resulted in a reduction of endogamy index in Avam Nganasans to 42.5% by 1991. Assimilation by the immigrants was predominantly paternal, promoting preservation of the historically formed genetic diversity of the Nganasan mitochondrial gene pool. Genealogical analysis of mtDNA haplotypes showed that a relatively high total frequency of Western Eurasian mtDNA haplogroups (20.4%) in the Mongoloid (according to anthropological type) Nganasan population is explained not only by the common ethnic origin with Entsy and Nentsy, but also by direct marriage migration from the Entsy population and indirect marriage migration, from the Nentsy population. This migration led to accumulation of Entsy-Nentsy maternal lineages in the genealogy of Avam Nganasans (38.9% of the total number). Of all mtDNA haplotypes, 28.6% were introduced to Avam Nganasans by female Entsy and Nentsy, whereas the total frequency of these haplotypes was 0.204. Genetic diversity of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes was 0.935.     

Role of migration processes in shaping the marriage structure of the Moscow population. I. The age, place of birth and nationality of those entering marriage

A genetic-demographic study of the dynamics of the Moscow population marriage structure, with respect to the age of marriage, birthplace and nationality of newlyweds has been carried out by means of sample analysis of 1955 and 1980 marriage records; some other demographic and statistic data obtained during several years were also used. The mean age of marriage being practically constant, the proportion of newlyweds younger than 20 in the reproductive part of the Moscow population was shown to be considerably higher at the beginning of the XX century than at present. The number of couples married at the postreproductive age increased in 1980, as compared with 1955. The process of migration contributing to the genetic structure of subsequent Moscow generations has been characterized quantitatively and from the spatio-geographical point of view. High values (0.57 less than m less than 0.86) of the coefficient of migration to Moscow correspond to the period of non-controlled city population growth. As a result of administrative measures for regulation of the city population growth, the value of the coefficient of migration to Moscow decreased considerably by 1980, though still remained at a rather high level (m=0.40). The mean migration distance increased from 230 km, in the beginning of XIX century to 560 km in 1955 and 1100 in 1980. Especially great was the increase of genetic contribution from Eastern and Southern regions of the USSR. The variability of the national composition also increased. These changes in the geography of migration will cause the increasing reproduction of the entire country gene pool in Moscow as a panmixia center that may result in genetic originality of the Moscow population.     

Spatial characteristics of marriage migration in the Belgorod population

Data from marriage records of the city of Belgorod for 1960, 1985, and 1995 have been used to calculate parameters characterizing migration in the Belgorod population. The marriage migration coefficients (m) in these years were 0.83, 0.68, and 0.58, respectively, and the endogamy indices were 0.05, 0.13, and 0.22, respectively. The marriage convergence (K) with respect to birthplace in the same years were 0.15, 0.13, and 0.14, respectively. In the period studied, spatial parameters reflecting the genetic efficiency of migration increased. The mean migration distance also increased; it was 430, 667, and 926 km in 1960, 1985, and 1995, respectively. The migration distances for men and women in the same years were 477, 725, and 986 km and 383, 609, and 866 km, respectively. The radius of the Belgorod population in terms of Malecot's isolation by distance model increased in the period studied (55, 81, and 95 km in 1960, 1985, and 1995, respectively). The parameter b in that period decreased (0.00110, 0.00074, and 0.00062, respectively), which indicates a decrease in the inbred component. The increase in marital distance (590, 796, and 891 km in 1960, 1985, and 1995, respectively) indicates a steady increase in the outbred component of the population.     

Density-dependent migration and human population structure in historical Massachusetts

Studies of population structure often focus on the effects of population size and migration rates on genetic variation. Few studies, however, have investigated the relationship between these two factors. The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent to which migration (and gene flow) is density-dependent (that is, affected by population size) for populations in historical Massachusetts. Data from 4,859 marriage records were analyzed from four populations in north-central Massachusetts during the time period 1741 to 1849. These data were placed into 29 samples defined in terms of population and time cohort. Within each cohort the overall exogamy rate was computed along with three estimates of gene flow based on marital migration: local migration (k), long-distance migration (m), and effective migration rate (me). Three samples show unusually low rates that reflect the history of settlement. Regression analyses were used with the remaining samples, and they show nonlinear density-dependent migration that is unrelated to temporal trends. Migration is highest in samples with small population sizes (less than 800) and large population sizes (greater than 1,600). Migration is lowest in medium-sized populations. Two processes are suggested to explain this curvilinear relationship of migration and population size. In small populations, the lack of suitable potential mates and/or availability of settled land leads to an increase in migration into the population. As population size increases, this migration decreases. After populations reach a certain size, migration increases again, most likely reflecting the economic pull of larger populations. These patterns could act to enhance, or counter, genetic drift, depending on the direction of density dependence.     

Genetic demographic study of Shors in Tashtagolskii raion of Kemerovo oblast: Changes in the marriage migration structure

The changes in the marriage structure with respect to the age at marriage, ethnicity, and spouses’ birthplaces during the period of time corresponding to two generations have been analyzed in the rural population of Shors of Tashtagolskii raion of Kemerovo oblast. In general, the Shor population had a high assortative marriage rate with respect to these parameters in the period studied, although there was a temporary tendency to wards its decrease. The ages of marriage for both the male and the female Shor populations in the years 2000–2005 were significantly older than in 1940–1945 and 1970–1975. The age-assortative marriage rate was r = 0.60 in 1940-1945, r = 0.73 in 1970–1975, and r = 0.66 in 2000–2005. The birthplace-assortative marriage rate decreased from 79.63% in 1970–1975 to 70.64% in 2000–2005. The ethnic assortative marriage rate of Shors steadily decreased during the time interval studied; it was 96.92, 89.95, and 80.98% in 1940–1945, 1970–1975, and 2000–2005, respectively, for the total rural population of Tashtagolskii raion.     

Population structure in the Connecticut Valley: II. A comparison of multidimensional scaling solutions of migration matrices and isonymy

In a previous paper (Swedlund et al., 1984) we have described the population structure of the historical Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts in terms of matrimonial migration matrices. Using procedures described by Morton (1973), Harpending and Jenkins (1974), Jorde (1980), and others the exchanges between subdivisions which make up the matrices are made column stochastic and analyzed to predict genetic kinship. Subsequently the kinship estimates within and between subdivisions can be interpreted as genetic covariance and compared to the actual geographic distances between the respective subdivisions using a principal components analysis. In the present paper we extend these results by applying nonmetric multidimensional scaling to the migration matrices, and to isonymy matrices based on the same communities. We demonstrate that the multidimensional scaling configurations of marital migration represent the actual geographic relationships between the communities quite effectively for this particular case study from historical Massachusetts. Moreover, we argue that while these migration data may provide good estimates of social and genetic exchange between the subdivisions, surname analysis may also be informative of processes not revealed in the migration matrices alone.     

Higher impact of female than male migration on population structure in large mammals

We simulated large mammal populations using an individual-based stochastic model under various sex-specific migration schemes and life history parameters from the blue whale and the Asian elephant. Our model predicts that genetic structure at nuclear loci is significantly more influenced by female than by male migration. We identified requisite comigration of mother and offspring during gravidity and lactation as the primary cause of this phenomenon. In addition, our model predicts that the common assumption that geographical patterns of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) could be translated into female migration rates (Nmf) will cause biased estimates of maternal gene flow when extensive male migration occurs and male mtDNA haplotypes are included in the analysis.     

The coalescent in two colonies with symmetric migration

Kingman's coalescent process is extended to two colonies with symmetric migration. The mean waiting time until a sample of genes taken from two colonies coalesces to a common ancestor is obtained. The final step in the waiting time before the process is absorbed at 1 is observed to have an intriguing behaviour. The distribution of this final waiting time converges to the known distribution of the corresponding waiting time in the case of a single population as the migration rate tends to zero. The mean, however, does not converge. The waiting time until a sample has two common ancestors is modeled as a function of the migration rate. Finally bounds for the expected waiting time for the two colonies to have j > 1 ancestors are derived.