Religion as a determinant of economic and demographic behavior in the United States

Abstract

A large body of literature documents that religion has widespread effects on the economic and demographic behavior of individuals and families in the United States, including the choice of marital partner, entry into cohabitation and marriage, divorce, fertility, women’s work at home and in the labor market, education, wages, and wealth. Until now, these various relationships have been studied one at a time, in isolation. Using an analytical framework based on Gary Becker’s theory of the economics of the family (1981), this paper critically reviews and synthesizes the theoretical and empirical research to date and identifies pathways through which religion has an impact on behavior. Gaps in knowledge are noted.

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