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ERIC Number: EJ944353
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 36
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-166X
EISSN: N/A
Marriage Meets the Joneses: Relative Income, Identity, and Marital Status
Watson, Tara; McLanahan, Sara
Journal of Human Resources, v46 n3 p482-517 Sum 2011
This paper investigates the effect of relative income on marriage. Accounting flexibly for absolute income, the ratio between a man's income and a local reference group median is a strong predictor of marital status, but only for low-income men. Relative income affects marriage even among those living with a partner. A 10 percent higher reference group income is associated with a 2 percent reduction in marriage. We propose an identity model to explain the results. (Contains 6 tables, 2 figures and 27 footnotes.)
University of Wisconsin Press. 1930 Monroe Street, Madison, WI 53711-2059. Tel: 608-263-0668; Fax: 608-263-1173; e-mail: journals@uwpress.wisc.edu; Web site: http://www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A