Abstract
It is commonly supposed that residential segregation influences the evolution of the stratification system in modern societies in part through its influence on marriage patterns. The impact of the contextual position of the bride's parents in the social environment of the local neighbourhood on her choice of spouse is tested for intraurban marriages in Christchurch in 1971. It is demonstrated that the residential location of parents affects the chances of their daughter making a ‘good’ marriage, but only to a minimal degree. The bride's social mobility is a far more important influence. The impact of the residential environment appears to be greater in the case of high-status and low-status parents. It is difficult to sort out the effect of neighbourhood socialisation from the circumscribing influence of social networks, but the former facet appears to be important.
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