Social and political assortative mating in urban China

Using survey data from urban China, the rigidity of the status hierarchy an d the importance of status-group boundaries in the process of mate selectio n are explored. Specifically, the patterns of assortative mating by sociopo litical characteristics are examined. Statistical analyses show three impor tant findings. First, the log-linear models uniformly indicate that, despit e a strong tendency toward status homogamy, urban Chinese couples are also mismatched symmetrically. Second, when mismatches occur, marriage prospects tend to marry partners from adjacent status groups. Third, although the sy stems of union formation and status hierarchies have undergone enormous tra nsformations since 1949, the "crossing models" do not reveal parallel and s ignificant changes in assortative mating. It is concluded that neither the socialist transformation in the 1950s and the Cultural Revolution in the 19 60s nor the recent economic reforms have changed the patterns of assortativ e mating in urban China. Status homogamy remains a dominant social norm and practice.