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Can technological change account for the sexual revolution?

Author

Listed:
  • John Kennes

    (Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University)

  • John Knowles

    (University of Southampton)

Abstract

By reducing the risk of unwanted parenthood, more effective contraception reduces the cost of sex outside of marriage, increasing the value of single life. Could this explain why marriage and birth rates declined in the U.S. after 1970?. We illustrate our hypothesis with a one-period example. We then extend the analysis to allow for repeated matching over many periods, modeling the shotgun-marriage, contraception- method and abortion margins. We use US survey data on contraception, sexual activity and family dynamics to calibrate the model for the 1970s, and then compute the effects of liberalizing access to contraception and abortion. The results suggest the hypothesis can explain 60% of the behavioral shifts associated with the sexual revolution.

Suggested Citation

  • John Kennes & John Knowles, 2013. "Can technological change account for the sexual revolution?," Economics Working Papers 2013-07, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    • Handle: RePEc:aah:aarhec:2013-07
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    File URL: https://repec.econ.au.dk/repec/afn/wp/13/wp13_07.pdf
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Diego Amador, 2017. "The Consequences of Abortion and Contraception Policies on Young Women’s Reproductive Choices, Schooling and Labor Supply," Documentos CEDE 15635, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    2. Thomas Baudin & David de la Croix & Paula E. Gobbi, 2015. "Fertility and Childlessness in the United States," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(6), pages 1852-1882, June.
    3. Strulik, Holger, 2019. "Desire And Development," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(7), pages 2717-2747, October.
    4. Benoit Julien & John Kennes & Moritz Ritter, 2013. "Bidding for Clubs," Economics Working Papers 2013-19, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    5. Canning, David & Mabeu, Marie Christelle & Pongou, Roland, 2020. "Colonial origins and fertility: can the market overcome history?," MPRA Paper 112496, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. John Kennes & Daniel le Maire, 2013. "Job Heterogeneity and Coordination Frictions," Economics Working Papers 2013-09, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    7. Holger Strulik, 2017. "Contraception And Development: A Unified Growth Theory," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 58(2), pages 561-584, May.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Two-Sided Search; Family; Family Economics; Household Formation; Marriage; Marriage Rate; Premarital; Single Mother; Single Parent; Fertility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • E13 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Neoclassical
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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