Between Constraints and Coercion. Marriage and Social Reproduction in Northern and central Italy, 18th-19th Centuries

Renzo Derosas (), Marco Breschi, Alessio Fornasin, Matteo Manfredini and Cristina Munno
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Renzo Derosas: Department of Economics, University Of Venice C� Foscari
Marco Breschi: University of Sassari
Alessio Fornasin: University of udine
Matteo Manfredini: University of Parma
Cristina Munno: University of Venice C� Foscari

No 2012_02, Working Papers from Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari"

Abstract: In this paper we review the main theories of household and marriage systems, highlighting their inability to account for the astonishing variety of family and marriage patterns that characterized modern Italy. We propose a new interpretative framework, where social reproduction is given pride of place as the main factor shaping marital behavior and household formation in the past. We test our theory analyzing five populations in northern and central Italy, characterized by different ecological, economic, and social conditions. We use an event history analysis approach to model the timing of marriage in the populations under study. The results confirm that coercion mattered much more than Malthusian economic constraints. We conclude suggesting a more general application of our approach to the study of marital behavior, family formation, and residential patterns in the past.

Keywords: marriage; social reproduction; household and marriage systems; Italy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C14 J12 N33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 45
Date: 2012
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem and nep-his
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