This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (4) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Xu, X. Articles by Bartkowski, J. P. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

The Timing of First Marriage

Are There Religious Variations?

Mississippi State University, xu{at}soc.msstate.edu

Clark D. Hudspeth

Jacksonville State University

John P. Bartkowski

Mississippi State University

Using survey data from a nationally representative sample, this article explores how marriage timing varies across major religious denominations. Survival analysis indicates that net of statistical controls, Catholics, moderate Protestants, conservative Protestants, and Mormons marry significantly earlier than their unaffiliated counterparts. This holds true for women and men. However, no statistical differences emerge between Jews, liberal Protestants, and the unaffiliated. As surmised, auxiliary statistical tests reveal additional religious subcultural variations: (a) Jews tend to marry later than Catholics, conservative Protestants, and Mormons; (b) Catholics also marry later than conservative Protestants and Mormons; (c) no statistical difference surfaces between Mormons and conservative Protestants; and (d) differences between Catholics and liberal Protestants as well as between Jews and liberal Protestants are statistically negligible. These findings systematically support the denominational subcultural paradigm in the case of marriage timing.

Key Words: first marriage • marriage timing • religious variations • religious subcultural variations • denominational subcultural paradigm

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. H.W. Civettini and J. Glass The Impact of Religious Conservatism On Men's Work and Family Involvement Gender Society, April 1, 2008; 22(2): 172 - 193. [Abstract] [PDF]