Religious Heterogamy and Relationship Stability: A Comparison of Married and Cohabiting Unions

Richard Petts
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Richard Petts: Ball State University

No 1209, Working Papers from Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing.

Abstract: Many studies have explored dynamics within religiously heterogamous marriages, but little is known about religiously heterogamous cohabiting unions. Using data from the Fragile Families Study, this study examines the influence of religious heterogamy on union stability among married and cohabiting couples. Results suggest that religious heterogamy is more common in cohabiting unions than marriages. Results also suggest that cohabiting unions are more likely to dissolve than marriages, and the risk of separation is higher for religiously heterogamous cohabiting unions (especially those in which one partner is religious and the other is not) than religiously heterogamous marriages. Finally, there is evidence showing that some religiously heterogamous cohabiting couples have a higher risk of relationship dissolution than religious heterogamous married couples due to lower relationship quality. Overall, this study extends the religion and family literature by showing that religious differences may lead to greater instability for cohabiting relationships than marriages.

Keywords: religion; behavior; religious attendance; fathers; mothers; children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D10 D19 D69 H31 J12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-11
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