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Racial Differences in the Effect of Marriageable Males on Female Family Headship

Author

Listed:
  • Terry-Ann CRAIGIE

    (Connecticut College)

  • Samuel L. MYERS, JR.

    (University of Minnesota)

  • William A. DARITY, JR.

    (Duke University)

Abstract

Female family headship has strong implications for endemic poverty in the United States. Consequently, it is imperative to explore the chief factors that contribute to this problem. Departing from prior literature that places significant weight on welfare-incentive effects, our study highlights the role of male marriageability in explaining the prevalence of never-married female family headship for blacks and whites. Specifically, we examine racial differences in the effect of male marriageability on never-married female headship from 1980 to 2010. By exploiting data from IPUMS-USA (N = 4,958,722) and exogenous variation from state-level sentencing reforms, the study finds that the decline in the relative supply of marriageable males significantly increases the incidence of never-married female family headship for blacks but not for whites.

Suggested Citation

  • Terry-Ann CRAIGIE & Samuel L. MYERS, JR. & William A. DARITY, JR., 2018. "Racial Differences in the Effect of Marriageable Males on Female Family Headship," JODE - Journal of Demographic Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 84(3), pages 231-256, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:ctl:louvde:v:84:y:2018:i:3:p:231-256
    DOI: 10.1017/dem.2018.3
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Grossbard, Shoshana, 2023. "Spouses as Home Health Workers and Cooks: Insights for Applied Research," IZA Discussion Papers 16182, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Steven Ruggles, 2022. "Race, class, and marriage: Components of race differences in men’s first marriage rates, United States, 1960–2019," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 46(39), pages 1163-1186.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Marriegeable Males; Female Family Headship; Sex Ratio; Race; Inequality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination

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