Evelyn L. Lehrer

Religion as a Determinant of Marital Stability

Using data from the 1987–1988 National Survey of Families and Households, this paper studies the role of the religious composition of unions as a determinant of marital stability. With the exceptions of Mormons and individuals with no religious identification, stability is found to be remarkably similar across the various types of homogamous unions. Consistent with the notion that religion is a complementary marital trait, interfaith unions have generally higher rates of dissolution than intrafaith unions. The destabilizing effect of out-marriage varies inversely with the similarity in beliefs and practices of the two religions as well as with the mutual tolerance embodied in their respective doctrines. The results also suggest that religious compatibility between spouses at the time of marriage has a large influence on marital stability, rivaling in magnitude that of age at marriage and, at least for Protestants and Catholics, dominating any adverse effects of differences in religious background.

Child care arrangements and fertility: an analysis of two-earner households.

The determinants of child care arrangements and relations between child care and fertility are examined using data on two-earner households from the 1976 National Survey of Family Growth. We find that the probability of relying on market arrangements is higher among families in which the husband’s income, the wife’s wage, and the level of the wife’s labor supply are high; these households are likely to benefit the most from subsidies to the market forms of care that are small relative to the total cost of care (e.g. the present system of tax credits). In addition, parental education, family size, child’s age, race, religion, and place of residence have important influences on the choice of child care mode. When other factors are held constant, reliance on a relative for child care is positively associated with intentions to have further children among couples with infants and preschoolers.

Determinants of child care mode choice: An economic perspective

The author presents evidence indicating that economic and demographic variables are important determinants of the type of child care used by two-earner households. Three conclusions follow from the empirical analysis: (a) Projections for future child care needs could be considerably impoved if, rather than taking into account only the number of children under 6, as done presently, more detailed age categories were considered, as well as trends in male and female wages and labor supply. (b) Subsidies to the formal modes of care may have antinatalist consequences. (c) Unless income tests are used, the benefits from such subsidies are likely to be heavily concentrated in the high-income groups.

The Impact of Children on Married Women's Labor Supply: Black-White Differentials Revisited

Previous studies have documented that the depressing effect of children on labor supply is greater for white wives than for their black counterparts. The present paper examines the hypothesis that this difference by race is less pronounced in the highly educated segments of the population. Multinomial logit estimates of a labor supply model using data from the 1982 National Survey of Family Growth are consistent with the hypothesis.

Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Sexual Victimization in College Women in Chile

CONTEXT To date, no quantitative studies have examined the prevalence or correlates of sexual violence among college students in Chile. METHODS An anonymous survey with questions on gender-based violence, demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, and childhood experiences with violence was administered to students at a major public university in Santiago. Descriptive statistics were generated to determine the prevalence and context of sexual victimization experienced by female students, and ordered logit models were used to identify associated risk factors. RESULTS Nine percent of subjects reported that the most severe form of undesired sexual contact they had experienced since age 14 was rape; 6% indicated attempted rape and 16% another form of sexual victimization. Seventeen percent of subjects reported having experienced some form of undesired sexual contact in the past 12 months alone. Alcohol or other drugs had been used in most cases of rape or attempted rape, by the victim (6%), the perpetrator (9%) or both (56%). In four sequential models, factors associated with increased odds of victimization included low parental education (Model 1) and childhood sexual abuse (Models 3 and 4); the association between witnessing domestic violence and victimization attained marginal significance (Model 2). Attending religious services during adolescence was associated with reduced odds of victimization (Models 1 and 2). Childhood sexual abuse was the only factor associated with victimization when all variables were included. CONCLUSIONS A substantial proportion of young women in the sample reported experiences of rape, attempted rape or other forms of forced sexual contact, indicating a need for further attention to this public health problem in Chile.

On marriage-specific human capital

This paper develops a model of remarriage for women with particular emphasis on the role of investments in marriage-specific human capital. A distinction is made between marriage-specific skills that are transferable across marriages and those that are specific to a particular spouse. It is hypothesized that transferable marriage-specific skills constitute an asset and a major component of gains from marriage for previously married women. A high level of such skills is expected to be associated with fast remarriage. The presence of children is expected to delay remarriage, because it indicates lower levels of past and future investments that would be relevant to a new partnership. These hypotheses are examined using Cox-regression techniques with data on white and black women from the 1982 National Survey of Family Growth. The empirical results are consistent with the hypotheses. A systematic pattern of race differentials is uncovered, which can be interpreted within the context of the model.

Depression and economic self-sufficiency among inner-city minority mothers☆

This paper uses a newly available data set on African-American and Latina mothers living in an inner-city neighborhood of Chicago to study the role of depression as a potential barrier to economic self-sufficiency. Logit regressions that control for a rich set of background characteristics reveal that a short period of high depressive symptoms does not have major repercussions in the economic sphere. However, repeated episodes or a prolonged condition of high depressive symptoms is strongly associated with an elevated risk of subsequent welfare dependency.

Preschoolers with working mothers

This research examines the determinants of child care mode choice for the preschool-age children of working mothers. Attention is focused on two main questions. First, do increases in economic resources raise the likelihood that center care arrangements will be employed? And second, is there a quality-quantity tradeoff in the context of child care? A multinomial logit analysis of data on preschoolers from the 1982 National Survey of Family Growth (conducted in the United States) yields positive answers to both of these questions.

Physical dating violence victimization in college women in Chile.

OBJECTIVES There are no published studies on physical dating violence in college students in Chile, and campuses across the country currently lack systematized programs to prevent or respond to this public health problem. This is the first study to examine prevalence and predictors of physical dating violence victimization with a sample of female college students in Chile. METHODS A closed-ended questionnaire was administered to students enrolled in general education courses at a major public university. The prevalence of womens physical dating violence victimization was calculated, and generalized ordered logit models were used to estimate risk factors for such victimization (n = 441). Ancillary analyses examined associations of dating violence victimization with experiences of unwanted sexual contact and forced condom nonuse. RESULTS Approximately 21% of subjects reported one or more incidents of physical dating violence not involving physical injury since age 14, and another 5% reported at least one incident resulting in physical injury during this time period. Risk factors identified in five sequential models were sexual abuse and witnessing of domestic violence in childhood, low parental education, residence away from the parental home, urban residence, and having had sexual intercourse. Maternal employment and religious participation had protective effects. Dating violence victimization was found to be significantly associated with experiences of unwanted sexual contact and forced condom nonuse. CONCLUSIONS The study findings show a high prevalence of physical dating violence, strong associations between several sociodemographic factors and dating violence, and links between dating violence and sexual/reproductive risk. Our results indicate a need to expand attention to this public health problem in Chile as well as other developing countries, where research and prevention/response initiatives have generally been similarly limited. The findings also have important implications for the content of dating violence, HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI), and pregnancy prevention programs for adolescents and young adults.

RELIGIOUS INTERMARRIAGE: AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE

This paper develops an economic framework for analyzing the relationship between religion and marriage. The economic and demographic implications of religious intermarriage are farreaching: it is known to be associated with substantially higher rates of marital instability and with lower levels of fertility (Beckeret al, 1977; Lehrer, 1992), thereby also influencing female labor supply and investments in child quality. Religious intermarriage may be viewed as either a problem or an opportunity by denominations concerned with the size of their membership in the current and future generations. In addition, intermarriage tends to enhance the melting-pot aspect of the American culture, blurring distinctions along ethnic and religious lines, with important implications for social policy. Yet there is no systematic theoretical model for an economic perspective on the determinants of intermarriage.Part I of this paper develops an economic model of intermarriage, covering both the gains associated with religious homogamy and the associated process of marital search. Using this analytical framework, Part II discusses the effects of observed variables on the incidence of interreligious marriage. Part III closes the paper with a brief summary and suggestions for future research.