Rhetoric or Reality? An Economic Analysis of the Effects of Religion in Sweden

Niclas Berggren ()

No 118, Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance from Stockholm School of Economics

Abstract: The present paper begins by outlining a theoretical, rational- choice approach to understanding how religious beliefs and affiliations might influence the behavior of individuals. This influence arises from an expectation that the god in question punishes certain forms of action and from social reprimands of devotees. In particular, four specific types of behavior are investigated: the divorce, abortion, non-payment, and children- born-out-of-wedlock rates. It is demonstrated why it is to be expected that Christian religious involvement discourages all of these activities. Regression analysis is then used to test the theory in the case of Sweden in the year 1990, and the importance of religion is strongly confirmed for all four types of behavior.

Keywords: Religion; rational choice; divorce; abortion; non-payment; children born out of wedlock (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 D10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1996-06
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Published in Journal of Socio-Economics, 1998, pages 571-596.

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Journal Article: Rhetoric or reality? An economic analysis of the effects of religion in Sweden (1997)
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Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hhs:hastef:0118

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