Homogamy by Geographical Origin: Segregation in Nineteenth-Century Flemish Cities (Gent, Leuven, and Aalst)

Abstract

In this article, the author uses marriage partner selection as an indicator for the openness of a society1 to study the level of intermarriage between migrants and natives (homogamy by geographical origin) in three Flemish cities in the period a1800-1913. The main question is whether societal transformations such as modernization and class formation lead to a decreased level of homogamy by geographical origin and how this is related to the specific characteristics of the selected cities.