DRIVEN BY INSTITUTIONS, SHAPED BY CULTURE: HUMAN CAPITAL AND THE SECULARIZATION OF MARRIAGE IN ITALY

We show that in Italy the legalization of divorce 1971 unleashed forces secularization, making educated persons more likely to contract a civil, rather than religious marriage. This process, ignited by institutional change, is also shaped cultural factors: choice civil marriage responsive education presence high levels social capital and/or weak family ties. These results emerge from both four-decade panel Italian municipalities and large sample individuals married between 1926 1998. To rationalize our empirical findings, we develop theory religiosity, education, choices. In model, option increases relative return human vs capital, thereby increasing prevalence – even absence direct causal link religiosity. article protected copyright. All rights reserved