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Title: Children, Family Size and Household Specialization: A Comparison of Different-Sex and Same-Sex Couples Using Exact Covariate Matching

Citation Type: Miscellaneous

Publication Year: 2010

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Abstract: We investigate household specialization in same-sex and different-sex couples by making use of exact covariate matching, thereby reducing selection bias. Using household-level data from the American Community Survey, same-sex couples are compared to different-sex couples to examine whether these couples divide market work in similar ways. Overall, we find that same-sex couples are less likely than their different-sex counterparts to specialize in domestic and market spheres. But these results hide some important patterns in the data. In particular, same-sex and different-sex couples divide market work similarly when children are present. When comparing same-sex couples to married couples and different-sex unmarried couples, we find that same-sex couples behave more similarly to married couples once children are present. These results suggest that both children and institutions matter in important ways. Our results are largely robust when subsamples of gay men and lesbians are examined separately.

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Authors: Schneebaum, Alyssa; Nunley, John; Zietz, Joachim; Giddings, Lisa

Publisher: University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Gender

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