The Impacts of Education,Adverse Childhood Experience,and Nativity on Intimate Partner Violence

This paper tested an implication of household bargaining theory, that women with higher human capital experience less intimate partner violence. Relying on a single source of income imposes a barrier to leaving an abusive relationship. Women with higher human capital are better equipped to leave a relationship, which allows them to tolerate less violence in a relationship. Using a California health survey dataset, we found that more educated women were less likely to experience spousal violence. We used the detailed nature of the data to control for commonly omitted variables such as adverse childhood experiences. In addition, we found that the effect of education on intimate partner violence varied by nativity (US-born vs. foreign-born) and was smaller for foreign-born women. Drawing from the literature on the returns to education by race, we hypothesized that foreign-born women have a lower return on human capital, which in turn moderated the effect of education on household bargaining power.     

Spousal resources and relationship quality in eight European countries

ABSTRACT

We relate relationship satisfaction and thoughts about leaving a romantic relationship to a couple’s relative and absolute resources and check for context-dependency of those associations. Our theoretical point of departure is that the more resources women have compared to their spouses, the higher their intra-household bargaining power to negotiate themselves out of unpleasant tasks, particularly in gender-egalitarian and very income equal and unequal societies. In traditional societies (which score low on the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM)), the inflexible role of men within the household presumably prevents women from bargaining a better position, which in turn negatively affects relationship quality. Income equality (low GINI coefficient) may be a prerequisite for women’s bargaining position, where more inequality (mid-GINI) may be detrimental for it. Nevertheless, extreme income inequality (high GINI) may again be favorable for women’s relationship power. Using country fixed effects models on data from the Generations and Gender Surveys (GGS), we compare men and women who are in a couple (formed after 1995) for eight European countries. We find that absolute resources matter more than relative resources, at least for relationship satisfaction: Higher educated couples are more satisfied with their relationships, which could suggest lower stress levels in those couples (in more traditional contexts). Second, we observe GINI context-dependency of the association between relative education and relationship satisfaction for women and relative education and exit thoughts for men, although opposite to what we expected. Perhaps reference group theory or gender display theory can explain these unexpected results. Finally, we find that women have more break-up plans in societies with a lower score on GEM. This last result is consistent with the notion that bargaining only works in egalitarian contexts.     

Parental Residential and Partnering Transitions and the Initiation of Adolescent Romantic Relationships

This study focused on the possible links between parental residential and partnering transitions (a parent's move out of the household, introduction of a new maternal and paternal partner) and the initiation of romantic relationships in adolescence. Using data from a prospective cohort study of Dutch adolescents (the TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey; N = 1,513), recurrent event discrete‐time models with random effects were estimated, controlling for the initial family structure and quality of family climate. The results demonstrated that when all 3 events were considered, only the initiation of a new romantic relationship by the mother was associated with an increase in the odds of initiating a romantic relationship for the adolescent.     

Social Exchange Theory and the Division of Household Labor in Same-Sex Couples

Same-sex couples are often not seen as a family unit and are excluded from research, including family research on topics such as household division of labor. The author examined division of household labor, using social exchange theory, among 165 survey respondents in a same-sex relationship. Division of labor was measured by the percentage of tasks performed according to the respondent. Status differences between partners (e.g., higher, equal, lower) in terms of income, education, hours spent on paid labor outside the home, employment status, age, and race (here, only same or different races) were the independent variables. In general, as predicted by social exchange theory, partners with greater resources or power performed fewer household tasks. Satisfaction with division of labor and sense of being appreciated for one's contributions to household tasks were positively correlated with global relationship satisfaction. However, some inconsistencies indicate gaps in social exchange theory and that other factors may be important in understanding division of labor among same-sex couples.     

Fertilitätsentscheidungen im Partnerschaftskontext

A review of existing sociological literature on fertility decisions reveals that most empirical studies focus on characteristics of the female spouse as explanatory factors, while the role of the partner is neglected for the most part. However, most children are fathered and born into an existing relationship and the influence of the partner has to be regarded as an important determining factor for childbirth. We propose starting from a bargaining perspective and model family-formation as a collective decision mutually agreed upon by both spouses, especially scrutinizing on the interrelation of both partners' educational level. In this paper, we examine in how far certain educational constellations have an impact on family formation. Classical theories of family economics suggest that educational asymmetries between partners may encourage parenthood. Our analysis is based on German Mikrozensus data collected between 1996 and 2004. The large sample allows us to analyze in detail the effects of educational levels as well as uncommon educational constellations. In a first step, we investigate separate effects of general and vocational education of each partner, followed by a quasi-cohort design, with women born in the mid 1960th and mid 1970th, to study the timing of the first birth. We conclude that traditional hypergamy may foster parenthood. But also educational homogamy leads to a higher amount of parents as compared to hypogamous couples, in which the wife's educational qualification exceeds the husband's educational degree.     

Family Financial Risk Taking When the Wife Earns More

This study investigates whether the relative bargaining power of spouses plays a role in explaining household financial risk taking. Traditional models assume that household decisions are made based on pooled resources and common preferences. In contrast, bargaining models hypothesize that household decisions depend on the relative bargaining power of spouses. According to bargaining models, if women are more risk averse, then households should exhibit less financial risk taking as the bargaining power of the wife increases. Results of an analysis of household financial risk taking in a sample of dual-earner, married households from the 2004 Survey of Consumer Finances are more consistent with decision making based on pooled resources rather than on the relative bargaining power of spouses.

Individual versus Household Migration Decision Rules: Gender and Marital Status Differences in Intentions to Migrate in South Africa

This research tests the thesis that the neoclassical microeconomic and the new household economic theoretical assumptions on migration decision‐making rules are segmented by gender, marital status, and time frame of intention to migrate. Comparative tests of both theories within the same study design are relatively rare. Utilizing data from the Causes of Migration in South Africa national migration survey, we analyse how individually held “own‐future” versus alternative “household well‐being” migration decision rules effect the intentions to migrate of male and female adults in South Africa. Results from the gender and marital status specific logistic regressions models show consistent support for the different gender‐marital status decision rule thesis. Specifically, the “maximizing one’s own future” neoclassical microeconomic theory proposition is more applicable for never married men and women, the “maximizing household income” proposition for married men with short‐term migration intentions, and the “reduce household risk” proposition for longer time horizon migration intentions of married men and women. Results provide new evidence on the way household strategies and individual goals jointly affect intentions to move or stay.     

Decomposing culture: an analysis of gender,language, and labor supply in the household

Despite broad progress in closing many dimensions of the gender gap around the globe, recent research has shown that traditional gender roles can still exert a large influence on female labor force participation, even in developed economies. This paper empirically analyzes the role of culture in determining the labor market engagement of women within the context of collective models of household decision making. In particular, we use the epidemiological approach to study the relationship between gender in language and labor market participation among married female immigrants to the U.S. We show that the presence of gender in language can act as a marker for culturally acquired gender roles and that these roles are important determinants of household labor allocations. Female immigrants who speak a language with sex-based grammatical rules exhibit lower labor force participation, hours worked, and weeks worked. Our strategy of isolating one component of culture reveals that roughly two thirds of this relationship can be explained by correlated cultural factors, including the role of bargaining power in the household, and the impact of ethnic enclaves and that at most one third is potentially explained by language having a causal impact.     

Bargaining power and equilibrium consumption

We examine how a shift of bargaining power within households operating in a competitive market environment affects equilibrium allocation and welfare. If price effects are sufficiently small, then typically an individual benefits from an increase of bargaining power, necessarily to the detriment of others. If price effects are drastic, the welfare of all household members moves in the same direction when bargaining power shifts, at the expense (or for the benefit) of outside consumers. Typically a shift of bargaining power within a set of households also impacts upon other households. We show that each individual of a sociological group tends to benefit, if he can increase his bargaining power, but suffers if others in his group do the same.     

Demonstration of power: Experimental results on bilateral bargaining

We test the empirical effectiveness of two theoretical proposals to equilibrate bargaining power in bilateral bargaining. Our experimental design is based on the two-player versions of the multibidding game (Pérez-Castrillo & Wettstein, 2001) and the bid-and-propose game (Navarro & Perea, 2005). Both models build on the ultimatum game and balance parties’ bargaining power by auctioning the role of the proposer in the first stage. We find that proposers learn how to send an acceptable proposal by trial and error, guided by responders’ rejections. The observed behavior stabilizes for the final experimental rounds and the payoff gap between the proposer and the responder seems to close down. However, the strategies chosen by subjects are remarkably different from the theoretical ones.     

Household technology: Implications for research and policy

If we are to have a fuller understanding of the social and economic context of the family, it is necessary to explore its technological environment. However, few scholars have examined the relationship between household technology and the functioning of the family. This article looks at which academic disciplines address household technology, what have been their findings, and why there is generally a paucity of research in this area. This article concludes with a discussion of the need for more research in household technology and the implications that this research may have for other family inquiry and for policy formation.Cathleen Zick, University of Utah, Richard Widdows, Purdue University, and Joan Ash, Central Washington University, provided helpful comments on earlier drafts of this article.His research interests include household technology, consumer policy, and consumer protection.     

Intrahousehold allocation of financial resources: evidence from South Korean individual bank accounts

Using individual bank account data from South Korea, where joint accounts are rare and the legal system emphasizes the individuality of financial transactions, we examine the distribution of financial resources between spouses within households. We find that each member’s share of household savings depends on the balance of bargaining power. We also find that the wife’s bargaining power increases total household savings. The findings deviate from the unitary model.      

Social Support and Parental Nurturance among Asian Indian Families in the US: Mediating Role of Parenting Self-Efficacy

Asian Indians in the United States are one of the fastest growing ethnic groups, yet empirical research on this population remains extremely scarce. This might be partly due to the “model minority” assumption that implies research on this population is not needed. This study is one of the first studies to examine the effects of social support on parental nurturance of children in a sample of Asian Indian parents and investigate the mediating role of parenting self-efficacy in this relationship pathway. We used newly available data from the Survey of Asian American Families and conducted analyses in the Asian Indian sub-sample (N?=?211). The regression models controlled for a rich array of parent and child characteristics and family socioeconomic status. We found that parental nurturance was positively associated with family support but not with support from partner or friends. Parenting self-efficacy played a significant mediating role in the relationship between family support and parental nurturance. These findings have important implications for social work practice and policy interventions that address the needs of the growing ethnic minority population of Asian Indians in the US.     

The effects of sexual orientation and marital status on how couples hold their money

Previous research has shown that intrahousehold bargaining power in different-sex couples affects household expenditures and how families hold their money. This article examines the portfolio of bank accounts held by same-sex and different-sex couples and its relationship to bargaining power and individual and relationship characteristics. Data from the U.S. Survey of Consumer Finances suggest that married couples are much more likely to hold money jointly than are same-sex or unmarried different-sex couples, even after accounting for the effects of other characteristics. However, many couples of all types hold money in joint accounts and do so more often in longer term relationships and when rearing children. Proxies for bargaining power help predict whether money will be held in individual accounts for unmarried different-sex and same-sex couples, but not for married couples. These patterns could reflect greater matching of married couples on preferences or the effects of legal and social institutions that differ by marital status and sexual orientation.

The impact of early life-course transitions on equality at work and home

This paper investigates two aspects of the paid employment relationship between female and male partners aged 23. It is argued that in order to understand women's position in the home and the labour market it is necessary to consider employment relationships in the context of the household. The impact of children on women's labour force participation is already well known and in this paper we show that marriage also has an independent effect on hours worked. The second aspect of the paper concerns the relative financial contribution of each partner to the family income from their labour market earnings. It is recognised that power and equality within the home are to some extent derived from the relative contribution of partners to the family income. It is shown that women are economically dependent on men even in the early stages of their partnership before children and that this dependence is greater among women with children.     

The impact of biological preferences on parental investments in children and step-children

A remarriage typically involves significant changes in a family’s financial circumstance, and these changes, combined with the relative bargaining relationship between spouses, likely affect the well-being of the children who are part of the family. In this paper, I use the separate-spheres model, a theoretical model that explains the determinants of bargaining power in marriage, to analyze how a remarried couple’s bargaining relationship affects their child investment in stepfamilies. Based on this theoretical model, I build and estimate an empirical model that investigates the determinants of parental investment. As evidence of parental preference for biological children over stepchildren, I find that an increased wage rate of a biological mother significantly improves her child investment when her husband is a stepfather of the child, while there is no such effect for mothers living with the biological father of the child.