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Title: Culture and Divorce: Evidence from European Immigrants to the U.S.

Citation Type: Conference Paper

Publication Year: 2009

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Abstract: This paper explores the role of culture in determining divorce decisions by examiningdifferences in divorce rates by country of origin of immigrants in the United States. Becauseimmigrants who arrived in the US at a young age all share a common set of American laws andinstitutions, we interpret cross-ancestry differences in divorce rates as evidence of the effect ofculture. Using this basic epidemiological approach, we find that culture has quantitativelysignificant effects on divorce decisions, more so for women than men. Supplemental analysessuggest the effect of culture is especially strong for immigrants from low divorce countries thatreside amidst a large number of co-ethnics. Given the importance of divorce as a determinant oflater outcomes in life, our findings suggest that cultural effects should be taken into considerationwhen formulating family policies.

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Authors: Marcen, Miriam; Furtado, Delia; Sevilla-Sanz, Almudena

Conference Name: European Association of Labor Economists

Publisher Location: London, UK

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Family and Marriage, Migration and Immigration

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