title: Monte Carlo exact methods used for analysing interethnic unions in Great Britain.
abstract: The value of using exact rather than asymptotic tests to measure intermarriage in the United Kingdom is examined. "We develop Markov chain Monte Carlo methods for estimating the exact conditional p-value and the exact distribution of the residuals, for quasi-independence and quasi-symmetry. These methods are used to analyse a sparse 10 x 10 symmetric table of interethnic unions, extracted from the 1% household sample of anonymized records from the 1991 U.K. census. With the exception of Pakistani/White and Other Asian/White unions, there is no evidence against quasi-symmetry. We conclude that, with these exceptions, there are no gender differences in the affinities between ethnic groups."
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Mcdonald
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Forster
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Berrington
mesh_terms: D003469:Culture; D003710:Demography; D019049:Developed Countries; D005006:Ethnicity; D005060:Europe; D008390:Markov Chains; D008393:Marriage; D008722:Methods; D011153:Population; D011154:Population Characteristics; D011336:Probability; D012106:Research; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Cultural Background; Demographic Factors; Developed Countries; Ethnic Groups; Europe; Intermarriage; Markov Chain; Marriage; Marriage Patterns; Methodological Studies; Northern Europe; Nuptiality; Population; Population Characteristics; Probability; Research Methodology; Statistical Studies; Studies; United Kingdom