Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/81174 
Year of Publication: 
2008
Series/Report no.: 
IFN Working Paper No. 728
Publisher: 
Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN), Stockholm
Abstract: 
We examine a hitherto unexplored aspect of intergenerational transmission of economic standing, namely culturally determined status markers and their valuation in the marriage market. We take nobility to be such a status marker. We propose a two-trait extension of the optimal sorting model in Becker (1973). Using data on Swedish marriages we test the hypothesis that nobility have a greater probability of marrying up in terms of wealth. Our main finding is a sizeable and statistically significant positive effect for nobility. We use unique data on the evolution of nobility to make some predictions about the longevity of this institution.
Subjects: 
Marriage
Status
Intergenerational Transmission
Nobility
JEL: 
D13
D20
J11
J12
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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