Citation
Prince, Barbara F.; Joyner, Kara; & Manning, Wendy D. (2017). Sexual minorities, social context, and union formation. Bowling Green State University Center for Family and Demographic Research Working Paper Series.Abstract
The social context in which Americans form coresidential unions has witnessed a fundamental transformation in the past two decades. The current study examines the association between social context and the formation of same-sex coresidential unions, with a particular focus on sexual minorities. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), we examine how the timing and likelihood of forming a first same-sex coresidential union differs not only by sexual orientation, but also by various indicators of social context. In addition to collecting information on same-sex unions, Add Health includes three unique indicators that capture supportive environments for sexual minorities (whether or not they are out to parents, the proportion of same-sex headed households in their census tract, and the proportion voting Republican in their county). We find evidence that sexual minorities, especially sexual minority men, have higher hazard rates of forming a same-sex union the more supportive their social contexts. Our findings underscore the importance of considering context when examining sexual minority outcomes and, more broadly, union formation.URL
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11113-019-09528-zKeyword(s)
Union formationReference Type
Journal ArticleJournal Title
Bowling Green State University Center for Family and Demographic Research Working Paper SeriesAuthor(s)
Prince, Barbara F.Joyner, Kara
Manning, Wendy D.