Social Capital and Spousal Education: Marriage Market Returns to Social Participation

Abstract

ABSTRACTMarital decision making appears personal but is driven by opportunities and constraints in local marriage markets along social class lines. We examine the relationship between the nature and extent of individuals’ social participation and educational marriage-market outcomes, employing a subsample of 493 respondents from the National Survey of Families and Households to evaluate whether participation in social groups and activities, and the extent of socializing within and outside their neighborhoods, are associated with spousal education. We evaluate whether gains to social participation vary based on education and gender. Results support a social capital perspective, with varied networks and greater access to weak ties increasing, and more frequent contact with strong ties reducing economically advantageous partnering. Gains to social participation vary somewhat by education level, consistent with a social capital perspective, and differential access to valuable social ties on the basis of education represents an important source of inequality in marital pairing.