Religion, Economics And Demography: The Effects Of Religion On Education, Work, And The Family (routledge Frontiers Of Political Economy)

Using the tools of economics, this book analyses how religion affects decisions and outcomes in a wide range of areas, including education, employment, family size, entry into cohabitation and formal marriage, the choice of spouse and divorce. In each case, the relationships are rigorously quantified based on multivariate statistical analyses of large scale US data. The results show, for example, that when people marry outside their faith, there is an increase in the probability of divorce, the magnitude of the adverse effect depending in part on the ecumenical/exclusivist nature of the two religions. Other analyses show that youth who grow up with some religion in their lives are less likely than their counterparts with little or no religious involvement to drop out of high school or enter cohabiting arrangements at a young age. Overall, both religious affiliation and the extent of participation in religious activities are found to have far-reaching implications for economic and demographic behaviour. The book contains a wealth of data illustrating how the religious and secular realms of people’s lives are intimately intertwined. With its economic perspective, it offers new ways of thinking about these relationships and is a valuable resource for students and scholars interested in the role of religion in education, work and the family. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 10 Copyright......Page 11 Dedication......Page 12 Contents......Page 14 Figures......Page 16 Tables......Page 17 Acknowledgments......Page 22 Introduction......Page 24 Part I: The role of religion in marriage and divorce......Page 32 1 Religion as a determinant of marital stability......Page 34 2 Religious intermarriage in the United States: Determinants and trends......Page 56 Part II: The role of religion in female labor supply and fertility......Page 76 3 The effects of religion on the labor supply of married women......Page 78 4 Religion as a determinant of marital fertility......Page 102 Part III: The role of religion in education and well-being......Page 128 5 The beneits from marriage and religion in the United States: A comparative analysis......Page 130 6 Religion as a determinant of educational attainment: An economic perspective......Page 151 7 Religion and high school graduation: A comparative analysis of patterns for white and black young women......Page 177 Part IV: A revised analytical framework, conclusions, and directions for future research......Page 196 8 The role of religion in union formation: An economic perspective......Page 198 9 Religion as a determinant of economic and demographic behavior in the United States......Page 221 10 Recent developments in the field and an agenda for future research......Page 241 Author Index......Page 254 Subject Index......Page 256 Pt. 1. The Role Of Religion In Marriage And Divorce -- Pt. 2. The Role Of Religion In Female Labor Supply And Fertility -- Pt. 3. The Role Of Religion In Education And Well-being -- Pt. 4. A Revised Analytical Framework, Conclusions, And Directions For Future Research. Evelyn L. Lehrer. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes.

Using an economic perspective, this book analyzes how religion affects a wide range of decisions that individuals make, including education, employment, family size, the timing of entry into cohabitation and formal marriage, the choice of spouse, and d

Evelyn Lehrer has written a number of influential papers examining how religion affects various aspects of the economic and demographic behavior of individuals and families in the United States. This title puts together these articles in one place.