Beauty–status exchange in mate selection in China

Wen Liu; Jia Yu; Yu Xie

doi:10.1016/j.rssm.2023.100872

Beauty–status exchange in mate selection in China

Wen Liu, Jia Yu, Yu Xie

Sociology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The status exchange hypothesis of union formation has been extensively examined in different societies. In this study, we explore beauty–status exchange in mate selection in China. Based on the 2010–2018 waves of the China Family Panel Studies, we apply a new method that directly estimates the magnitude of exchange by considering beauty–status intermarriage as a treatment. Our results show that in China women exchange attractive appearance for men's higher socioeconomic status, but men's physical attractiveness does not exchange for women's higher socioeconomic status. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the traditional marriage exchange pattern of “wife's beauty matching with husband's talent” mainly persists among women with lower levels of education and from families of lower socioeconomic status.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	100872
Journal	Research in Social Stratification and Mobility
Volume	89
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rssm.2023.100872
State	Published - Feb 2024

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Sociology and Political Science
Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

Keywords

Beauty
China
Marital exchange
Socioeconomic status

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10.1016/j.rssm.2023.100872

Cite this

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title = "Beauty–status exchange in mate selection in China",

abstract = "The status exchange hypothesis of union formation has been extensively examined in different societies. In this study, we explore beauty–status exchange in mate selection in China. Based on the 2010–2018 waves of the China Family Panel Studies, we apply a new method that directly estimates the magnitude of exchange by considering beauty–status intermarriage as a treatment. Our results show that in China women exchange attractive appearance for men's higher socioeconomic status, but men's physical attractiveness does not exchange for women's higher socioeconomic status. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the traditional marriage exchange pattern of “wife's beauty matching with husband's talent” mainly persists among women with lower levels of education and from families of lower socioeconomic status.",

keywords = "Beauty, China, Marital exchange, Socioeconomic status",

author = "Wen Liu and Jia Yu and Yu Xie",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2024",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1016/j.rssm.2023.100872",

language = "English (US)",

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T1 - Beauty–status exchange in mate selection in China

AU - Liu, Wen

AU - Yu, Jia

AU - Xie, Yu

PY - 2024/2

Y1 - 2024/2

N2 - The status exchange hypothesis of union formation has been extensively examined in different societies. In this study, we explore beauty–status exchange in mate selection in China. Based on the 2010–2018 waves of the China Family Panel Studies, we apply a new method that directly estimates the magnitude of exchange by considering beauty–status intermarriage as a treatment. Our results show that in China women exchange attractive appearance for men's higher socioeconomic status, but men's physical attractiveness does not exchange for women's higher socioeconomic status. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the traditional marriage exchange pattern of “wife's beauty matching with husband's talent” mainly persists among women with lower levels of education and from families of lower socioeconomic status.

AB - The status exchange hypothesis of union formation has been extensively examined in different societies. In this study, we explore beauty–status exchange in mate selection in China. Based on the 2010–2018 waves of the China Family Panel Studies, we apply a new method that directly estimates the magnitude of exchange by considering beauty–status intermarriage as a treatment. Our results show that in China women exchange attractive appearance for men's higher socioeconomic status, but men's physical attractiveness does not exchange for women's higher socioeconomic status. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the traditional marriage exchange pattern of “wife's beauty matching with husband's talent” mainly persists among women with lower levels of education and from families of lower socioeconomic status.

KW - Beauty

KW - China

KW - Marital exchange

KW - Socioeconomic status

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ER -

Beauty–status exchange in mate selection in China

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Keywords

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