Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP8667
Authors: Jess Fernández-Villaverde; Jeremy Greenwood; Nezih Guner
Abstract: Societies socialize children about sex. This is done in the presence of peer-group effects, which may encourage undesirable behavior. Parents want the best for their children. Still, they weigh the marginal gains from socializing their children against its costs. Churches and states may stigmatize sex, both because of a concern about the welfare of their flocks and the need to control the cost of charity associated with out-of-wedlock births. Modern contraceptives have profoundly affected the calculus for instilling sexual mores. As contraception has improved there is less need for parents, churches and states to inculcate sexual mores. Technology affects culture.
Keywords: adolescent health; children; church and state; contraception; culture; out of wedlock births; parents; peer group effects; premarital sex; shame; socialization; stigmatization; technological progress
JEL Codes: E1; E13; J10; J13; N0; O11; O33
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Improved contraception (J13) | Decrease in costs associated with premarital sex (J12) |
| Decrease in costs associated with premarital sex (J12) | Rise in out-of-wedlock births (J12) |
| Improved contraception (J13) | Decrease in parental socialization necessity (J12) |
| Improved contraception (J13) | Decrease in stigma associated with premarital sex (J12) |
| Peer group behavior (C92) | Individual decisions to engage in premarital sex (J12) |
| Shame (C71) | Individual decisions to engage in premarital sex (J12) |
| Peer group behavior (C92) | Shame (C71) |
| Societal attitudes towards premarital sex (J12) | Behavior (C99) |