Economic Structure, Religion, and Age At Marriage: Some Evidence From Alsace

Abstract

This study examines the effects of economic and cultural factors on age at first marriage, using marriage records for a sample of twenty-five communities located in the French region of Alsace. The findings indicate that in both agricultural and industrial settings, young people in predominantly Protestant communities married earlier than did those in predominantly Catholic villages. Significant differences also existed by occupation of the groom, though the effect of occupation varied by gender and religious affiliation.