Who Moves to Whom? Gender Differences in the Distance Moved to a Shared Residence

Abstract

Although the migration of couples and families is well examined, the migration that occurs at the start of co-residence has only been minimally studied. This study examines (1) whether women move more often and move over longer distances at the start of co-residence and (2) whether gender differences (if any) stem from compositional differences between women and men, such as gender differences in ties, or if they are the consequence of the within-couple distribution of bargaining power. The analyses are performed on Swedish population register data from 1991 to 2008, including longitudinal information on the residence of all couples who either married or had a child as cohabitants in 2008, backtracking them to the year of union formation. The results indicate that women are more prone to move for the sake of their male partner in the process of union formation than vice versa. If partners lived in close proximity prior to co-residence, the woman's increased likelihood of moving and longer distance moved is nearly completely explained by power imbalances in the couple. Gender differences in ties only have minor importance in explaining gender differences in these types of migration patterns. If partners lived far apart prior to co-residence, gender differences are particularly pronounced. These differences remain after adjusting for the two partners' relative resources. We contribute to the family migration literature by suggesting that women's higher propensity to move and their longer distance moved -018-9490-4 are indications that even couples' decisions at the start of co-residence are made in favour of the man's career.

Partner choice in Sweden: How distance still matters

“…Fourth, the distance to family members might influence the distance between partners before living together. Swedish men tend to live closer to their parents than Swedish women do (Brandén and Haandrikman, 2013;Malmberg and Pettersson, 2007), and couples with children tend to live closer to the paternal than to the maternal grandparents (Løken et al, 2013). For the present study, I expect that spatial homogamy is strongest in urban areas and for people living close to family members, but that distances between partners before co-residence are longer for mobile individuals.…”

“…Another could be that, with age, women in particular place more value on socio-economic status in partner choice (Schwarz and Hassebrauck, 2012), which may imply longer distances to find such a partner. Third, women more often move longer distances than men, because men (who are generally a few years older than their partners) are more established in the labor and housing market than women of a similar age (Bielby and Bielby, 1992;Mulder and Malmberg, 2012), and because of a gender culture that supports the systematic adaptation of women to their partners' careers (Brandén and Haandrikman, 2013).…”

Introduction to the special collection on spatial mobility, family dynamics, and gender relations

“…Other research highlights relevant gendered patterns in spatial mobility that are substantial at the time of union and family formation and thereafter (Brandén and Haandrikman 2018). The pervasive and persistent gender inequalities in the labour market that permeate spatial mobility decisions are particularly relevant to the labour outcomes of men and women in family households.…”

Migration patterns of parents, children and siblings: Evidence for patrilocality in contemporary Finland

“…Existing research suggests that in the Netherlands, married couples are living closer to the parents of the husband than the parents of the wife (Blaauboer et al, ). A study from Norway found—to the surprise of the researchers—that married couples reside closer to the husband's than the wife's parents (Løken et al, ), and a Swedish study similarly found that females where more likely to move to the male's place when couples started a coresidential union (Brandén & Haandrikman, ). Other studies using register data from the Nordic countries indicate that men are more likely than women to live close to their ageing parents, contrary to the cultural expectations about adult daughters acting as carers for their parents (e.g., Malmberg & Pettersson, ).…”