A cut above the rest? Private anthropometrics in marriage markets.
A large body of economic research suggests that publicly observable anthropometric characteristics affect labor and marriage market outcomes. Private anthropometrics may not affect these outcomes. We examine male circumcision in marriage markets in Zambia. Our analysis reveals substantial variation across local marriage markets in circumcision prevalence relative to preference for circumcised partners, as well as excess aggregate demand for circumcised males. Regression estimates suggest a marriage market premium of approximately one-half to one year of additional schooling for matching with a partner of preferred anthropometric type in a local marriage market with excess demand for that anthropometric characteristic.
Department of Economics, Reed College, United States. Electronic address: nwilson@reed.edu.
Nicholas
N
Wilson
Department of Economics, Reed College, United States.
Martha
M
Janicki
D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior; D002944:Circumcision, Male / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015024:Zambia
Anthropometrics; Circumcision; HIV/AIDS; Marriage markets; Matching markets; Zambia