Driven by Institutions, Shaped by Culture: Human Capital and the Secularization of Marriage in Italy

David de la Croix, Fabio Mariani () and Marion Mercier

No 14696, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: We study the mechanisms behind the process of secularization and how they relate to human capital accumulation. We find a robust, positive correlation between human capital and secularization in marriage. Secularization is more responsive to education (i) in the presence of high levels of social capital and/or weak family ties, and (ii) following the legalization of divorce in 1971. To understand the mechanisms behind these results, we develop a theory of religiosity, education, and marriage choices, in which individuals who divorce face a relatively higher return to human capital compared to religious capital. Our theory suggests that a positive association between human capital and secularization can emerge across individuals (and localities) even in the absence of a direct effect of education on religiosity. Consistent with our empirical findings, the legalization of divorce plays a central role in unleashing the forces of secularization in marriage, and different patterns in the education--secularization nexus can be traced to different systems of incentives, as shaped by civic capital and family ties.

Keywords: Secularization; Human capital; Marriage; Divorce (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I25 J12 N34 O4 Z12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-gro and nep-soc
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://cepr.org/publications/DP14696 (application/pdf)
CEPR Discussion Papers are free to download for our researchers, subscribers and members. If you fall into one of these categories but have trouble downloading our papers, please contact us at subscribers@cepr.org

Related works:
Working Paper: Driven by institutions, shaped by culture: human capital and the secularization of marriage in Italy (2023)
Working Paper: Driven by Institutions, Shaped by Culture: Human Capital and the Secularization of Marriage in Italy (2019)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:14696

Ordering information: This working paper can be ordered from
https://cepr.org/publications/DP14696

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers Centre for Economic Policy Research, 33 Great Sutton Street, London EC1V 0DX.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by ().