Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP14696
Authors: David de la Croix; Fabio Mariani; Marion Mercier
Abstract: We study the mechanisms behind the process of secularization and how they relate to human capital accumulation. We find a robust, positive correlation between human capital and secularization in marriage. Secularization is more responsive to education (i) in the presence of high levels of social capital and/or weak family ties, and (ii) following the legalization of divorce in 1971. To understand the mechanisms behind these results, we develop a theory of religiosity, education, and marriage choices, in which individuals who divorce face a relatively higher return to human capital compared to religious capital. Our theory suggests that a positive association between human capital and secularization can emerge across individuals (and localities) even in the absence of a direct effect of education on religiosity. Consistent with our empirical findings, the legalization of divorce plays a central role in unleashing the forces of secularization in marriage, and different patterns in the education--secularization nexus can be traced to different systems of incentives, as shaped by civic capital and family ties.
Keywords: secularization; human capital; marriage; divorce
JEL Codes: Z12; J12; I25; N34; O4
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Human Capital (J24) | Secularization in Marriage (J12) |
| Social Capital and Family Ties (Z13) | Education-Secularization Relationship (I28) |
| Legalization of Divorce in 1971 (J12) | Education-Secularization Link (I28) |