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This study explores the effects of homogamy and heterogamy in socio-economic background and educational level on the marriage rate among cohabitors. Using unique register data and the Cox proportional hazards model, we analyse marriage formation in over 20,000 cohabiting unions in Finland. The large number of observations enables an inspection of the interactive effects in all partner-status combinations. Our results show that homogamy or heterogamy in socio-economic background is of little consequence for the couple’s probability of marrying; homogamy encourages marriage only among cohabitors from farmer families. With regard to education, homogamy increases the marriage rate among cohabitors with a low level of education, but reduces it among the highly educated. Whether educational heterogamy promotes, deters or has no effect on the marriage rate depends on the combination. The results emphasize the importance of a detailed measurement of homogamy and heterogamy when examining the role of group boundaries in union transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The education of children of immigrants is an important aspect of the integration of immigrant groups into receiving societies. This article focuses on the first transition in the Finnish education system. Two aspects are analysed: continuation versus dropping out and choice of upper secondary school type (general versus vocational). Results suggest that children of immigrants tend to have a higher probability of dropping out of education at this transition than the majority. However, this can largely be explained by prior school achievement and family resources. Controlling for these, only some first-generation groups are left disadvantaged. Second-generation students with very low prior school achievement or a father outside the labour force are also at an increased risk of dropping out. These drop-outs may be seen as discouraged students. The picture is more positive for choice of general school. After similar controls, most children of immigrants have a higher probability of choosing general school than the majority. The difference is greatest for the non-European second generation and for students with below-average prior school achievement. Together with the results for drop-out, this points to an avoidance of vocational schools by some ethnic minority groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article interrogates whether the social background of adolescents affects (1) the quality of their relations with parents and teachers, and (2) the potentially beneficial effects of these relations on school-related and psychological outcomes. Previous studies suggest that social background does affect the quality of social relations, although weakly, and that these in turn affect various outcomes. However, the results are inconclusive as to whether the quality of social relations of different importance for adolescents from different social backgrounds, and such an interaction effect could be predicted from different perspectives. The data are based on a nationally representative sample of Swedish adolescents between 10 and 18 years of age (n = 2,645) and include several aspects of social background, social relations and outcomes. The data are ideally suited to this question, in that information about social relations and outcomes is child-reported, while information on social background is parent-reported and based on register data. The results confirm that social relations are conducive to various outcomes, and show that disadvantaged adolescents have weaker relations with parents and teachers. Furthermore, they imply that relations with teachers are of particular importance for disadvantaged adolescents' school and psychological outcomes, while parental relations are equally important for both advantaged and disadvantaged adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]