Sex ratios and union formation in the historical population of the St. Lawrence Valley.

ABSTRACT: The ratio of men and women in the adult population, i.e. sex ratio, has long been recognized as a key demographic constraint for partnering behavior. However, the literature remains contradictory on how sex ratio imbalances influence partnering behavior, suggesting either higher or lower rates of male marriage being associated with male-skewed sex ratios. These contradictory findings are likely due to data limitations. Cross-sectional data or limited observation periods preclude studies from distinguishing sex ratio effects on timing from effects on the overall likelihood of marriage. In this paper, we use historical family reconstitution data to study the association of sex ratios with marriage patterns in the French colony of the St. Lawrence Valley in North America (1680-1750). The popu

SUBMITTER: Filser A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9176776 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature