The Wife’s Protector: A Quantitative Theory Linking Contraceptive Technology with the Decline in Marriage

Jeremy Greenwood, Nezih Guner and Karen Kopecky

No 26410, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: The 19th and 20th centuries saw a transformation in contraceptive technologies and their take up. This led to a sexual revolution, which witnessed a rise in premarital sex and out-of-wedlock births, and a decline in marriage. The impact of contraception on married and single life is analyzed here both theoretically and quantitatively. The analysis is conducted using a model where people search for partners. Upon finding one, they can choose between abstinence, a premarital sexual relationship, and marriage. The model is confronted with some stylized facts about premarital sex and marriage over the course of the 20th century. Some economic history is also presented.

JEL-codes: D1 E13 J1 J12 J13 N11 N12 O33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-gro and nep-his
Note: DAE EFG LS
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Related works:
Working Paper: The Wife's Protector: A Quantitative Theory Linking Contraceptive Technology with the Decline in Marriage (2020)
Working Paper: The Wife's Protector: A Quantitative Theory Linking Contraceptive Technology with the Decline in Marriage (2019)
Working Paper: The Wife's Protector: A Quantitative Theory Linking Contraceptive Technology with the Decline in Marriage (2019)
Working Paper: The Wife's Protector: A Quantitative Theory Linking Contraceptive Technology with the Decline in Marriage (2019)
Working Paper: The Wife's Protector: A Quantitative Theory Linking Contraceptive Technology with the Decline in Marriage (2019)
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