The relationship between sex ratios and marriage rates in South Africa
SOURCE: Applied Economics
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2013
TITLE AUTHOR(S): D.Posel, D.Casale
KEYWORDS: LOBOLO (BRIDEWEALTH), MARRIAGE, SEX RATIOS
DEPARTMENT: Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES)
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 9993
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/11285
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/11285
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2013
TITLE AUTHOR(S): D.Posel, D.Casale
KEYWORDS: LOBOLO (BRIDEWEALTH), MARRIAGE, SEX RATIOS
DEPARTMENT: Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES)
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 9993
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/11285
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/11285
If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Baudin at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za.
Abstract
We investigate the relationship between alternative definitions of sex ratios and marriage outcomes among African and white women in South Africa. In contrast to marriages among whites, African marriages in South Africa traditionally have involved the payment of bridewealth (or ilobolo) by a husband to the prospective wife's family. Using matched data from the 2001 Population Census and the South African Labour Force Surveys, we find that among Africans, both the quantity and quality of unmarried men relative to women in local marriage markets are significant predictors of marriage. However, economic-based measures of marriageability have a larger effect on marriage outcomes than simple sex ratios. These findings are consistent with the argument that bridewealth payments act as a financial constraint to marriage among African couples, raising the marriageability criteria of men. In contrast, we find mostly insignificant results for the relationship between sex ratios and marriage outcomes among white women.-
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