Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Using 2002 International Social Survey Program data, this study examines (1) whether the association between women’s economic resources (full-time job, high income, and college degree) and their attitudes toward marriage differ across 31 countries and (2) whether states’ approaches on women’s employment are associated with how economic resources affect women’s attitudes toward marriage. Country-level differences in gender inequality in the labor market and in support for dual-earner couples affect how women view marriage, which may have been one of the unexplored factors affecting recent demographic trends across countries. The results show that for women in countries with generous public childcare services, the negative effect of full-time employment is weaker and the positive effect of education is stronger than those in countries with poor public childcare services. In contrast, the availability of a long parental leave strengthens the association between women’s high income and their negative attitudes toward marriage. These findings suggest that states’ commitment in challenging the gendered division of labor—rather than expecting employed mothers to take time off of their work—is a vital element in making marriage more attractive to women with more economic resources.