Correlates of marriage and family patterns in southern Ethiopia
2002
Markos Ezra (Population Studies and Training Center, Brown University)Eshetu Gurmu
This paper uses the 1997 community and family survey conducted in Southern Ethiopia covering five major ethnic groups to analyze the correlates of marriage arrangements and family formation patterns and tries to investigate their relationship with some cultural and socioeconomic attributes. Specifically, determinants of, and differentials in, the pattern of entry into marriage, stability of first marriages, mate selection criteria for daughters, and factors associated with polygamous marriages in five different ethnic groups are the focus of the paper. 1.931 ever-married women were included in the analysis. of these, 62were married before age 18about 32were not in their first marriages at the time of the surveyand more than 30of the currently married women were living in polygamous marriage arrangements. Differentials in marriage patterns by ethnic group are not that obvious an 1 are at times inconsistent. Dissolution of first marriage is strongly associated with such factors as early age at first marriage, extended family structure and household's poor economic status. Polygamy is found to be strongly associated with household's wealth status or religious affiliation.
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