Sibling Influence on Access to Marriage

Abstract

In this comparative article of European and American contexts, we investigate how siblings influence individuals’ access to marriage. We use a comparative and quantitative event history analysis approach to identify similarities and differences between the contexts studied. We find evidence in both contexts of customs that stipulated that siblings should marry in order of birth and also positive stimulative effects from married siblings on their unmarried counterparts, particularly in opposite-sex pairs. At the same time, we find evidence for negative effects as a consequence of recent marriages of siblings, demonstrating that sibling competition for access to marriage went on simultaneously.