Doctoral Dissertation Research: Consequences in Context: Labor Market Effects of Entry into Marriage and Cohabitation for Men and Women in Comparative Perspective

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SES-0525873Patricia A. McManusClaudia GeistIndiana UniversityDoes marriage help men's work careers, while harming the careers of women? This dissertation fills an essential empirical gap by taking a closer look at how marriage matters differently for men and women in a variety of contexts. The investigators focus on the effect of marital status on wages and work schedule, each important sources of inequality in contemporary societies. Using a cross-national perspective the study addresses three specific research questions at the intersection of gender, family and inequality: (1) How do the marital status differences in labor market outcomes vary cross-nationally for men and women?, (2) How does societal context, in particular the economic and demographic environment, affect aggregate rates of marriage within and across countries?, and (3) How do changes in marital status affect labor market outcomes for women and men, and to what extent can cross-national variation in this effect be explained by variation in selectivity, economic and demographic context? Analyses will be based on high quality panel data from the United States, Sweden and Germany spanning a 15-year time period, and allow me to gain more insight in the causal factors relating the social institutions of marriage and cohabitation to labor market outcomes. Focusing on the role of national context, as well as economic and demographic environment, this study tests the generalizability of US findings and tests the context sensitivity of proposed individual level mechanisms linking marital status and labor market outcomes, emphasizing the potential role of policy regimes.Broader Impacts: This dissertation research will provide the first systematic cross-national investigation of how gender differences in the career penalties or premiums associated with marriage depend on societal context. The results will further empirical knowledge and theory development within the areas of gender stratification and the sociology of the family. This study will also provide important insights into the link between macro-level structures and individual outcomes that will contribute to the general body of sociological knowledge but are also relevant for the research community at large. Family and area studies researchers focusing on OECD countries at different level s of development will be able to use this study to inform their understanding of the intra-societal processes linking family, work, and inequality. The study also highlights how the role of the family can vary cross-nationally. Specifically, it shows how policy packages interact with structural context in shaping the effect of marital status on individuals' economic outcomes. This is crucial for a better understanding of the institution of marriage, the role of cohabitation, and the prospects for gender equality in the United States and across the world.