How Economic and Ideational Factors Interact in Shaping Marriage Timing in Nepal

--A Reasonable Choice Approach

Yingchun Ji

Carolina Population Center

The Department of Sociology

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Theoretical Framework

This study combines ideas from both economic and ideational approaches in studies in family formation.

It draws on economic rational choice theory, social psychological reasoned action theory, and sociological norm theories.

Theoretical Framework

It proposes a reasonable choice framework to examine how economic and ideational factors shape timing of marriage in the setting of Chitwan Valley, Nepal, both independently and interactively.

– The reasonable choice approach argues that both cost-benefit calculation (utility maximization) and social norm obedience motivate an individual’s decision-making.

– Furthermore, whether an individual is motivated by utility maximization is dependent on how much he/she is motivated by social norm obedience.

Data and Method

Survey data are from the Chitwan Valley Family Study (CVFS): including 1996 Individual Survey, and 126 months of Household Demographic Registry between 1996 and 2007.

The sample this study uses includes 952 men and women who were between the ages 15 and 24 and were not married in 1996.

The dependent variable is timing of marriage.

Data and Method

The key independent variables include socioeconomic attainment, approximated by educational attainment, school enrollment and employment, and individual and perceived attitudes of family members, including measures of ideal marriage age, attitudes concerning timing of menstruation versus marriage, and perceived importance of marriage to one’s mother.

Discrete-time event history models are estimated to examine how the monthly risk of marriage is related to individuals’ socioeconomic attainment, their own attitudes and their perceived attitudes of family members concerning marriage, and the interaction between them.

I use multilevel hazard models to address issues related to the clustering feature of the CVFS design.

Result

Table 1. Socioeconomic and Ideational Factors on Marriage Timing, CVFS (N=952).

Variables Model 1 Model 2 Model 3 Model 4 Model 5 Model 6

Ever had nonfamily work (+)***         (+)**

Highest years of schooling in 1996   (+)*       (+)*

Enrolled in school in 1996   (-)***       (-)*** Reached ideal marriage age (lagged in one month)     (-)     (-)

Girls should marry before menstruation       (+)+   (+)

Important to one's mother to get married         (+)*** (+)

(+/- ) Sign of Coefficients; + α=.1, * α=.05, ** α=.01, and *** α=.001.

Result

Table 2. Interactions between Socioeconomic and Ideational Factors on Marriage Timing, CVFS (N=952).

Variables Model 7 Model 8

Highest years of schooling in 1996 (+)*** (+)*

Enrolled in school in 1996 (-)*** (-)***

Reached ideal marriage age (lagged in one month) (+)**  

Years of schooling*Reached ideal marriage age (-)***  

Girls should marry before menstruation   (+)* Years of schooling*Girls should marry before menstruation   (-)+

+ α=.1, * α=.05, ** α=.01, and *** α=.001

Result

1.00

1.25

1.50

1.75

2.00

2.25

2.50

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Figure 1: Relationship between Years of Schooling and Marriage Timing Is Modified by Whether Respondents Have

Reached Ideal Marriage Age

Reached Ideal ageNot reached

Result

1.25

1.50

1.75

2.00

2.25

2.50

2.75

3.00

3.25

3.50

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Figure 2: Relationship between Years of Schooling and Marriage Timing Is Modified by How Much Respondents Agree with the Cultural

Belief regarding Timing of Menstruation versus Marriage

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

Conclusion

Consistent with rational choice theory, both years of schooling and nonfamily work experience increase the risk of marriage. Further, school enrollment decreases the risk of marriage.

Consistent with reasoned action theory, the cultural belief concerning timing of menstruation versus marriage and the subjective norm regarding whether it is important to one’s mother to get married sooner are significant. However, the attitude regarding the ideal marriage age is not significant.

Conclusion

Significant interaction effects are found to support the reasonable choice framework. Both the attitude regarding timing of menstruation versus marriage and attitude regarding the ideal marriage age modify the effect of years of schooling on the timing of marriage.

– For those who have not passed their ideal age for marriage, cultural norms and parents probably have not begun to press individuals to marry soon. They are more likely to decide when and whom to marry based on a cost and benefit calculation as indicated by the positive and strong effect of years of schooling.

– However, passing the ideal marriage age, pressure from culture and family may be more salient and prominent, and the cost and benefit calculation may become secondary concerns, as indicated by almost no effect of years of schooling.

Conclusion

Similar to the above interaction, for those who more or less agree with the cultural belief regarding timing of menstruation versus marriage, the influence of cultural belief appears to suppress the effects of economic concerns, as indicated by almost no effect of years of schooling.

However, for those who more or less disagree with the cultural belief regarding timing of menstruation versus marriage, this cultural belief does not seem to constrain their decision-making concerning marriage, and economic concerns appear to play a prominent role, as indicated by the positive and strong effect of years of schooling.