Samenwonen versus Huwelijk: Mechanismen en dynamiek

As cohabitation becomes an increasingly common family arrangement, it is essential to understand how family structure interacts with economic incentives and policy design, particularly since economic analysis has traditionally centered on marriage despite the observed behavioral differences between cohabiting and married couples. This dissertation addresses two central questions. First, what drives individuals to choose between cohabitation and marriage, and how do changes in these factors affect family structure and outcomes such as female labor supply and household specialization patterns? Second, what do the different characteristics and behaviors between cohabiting and married couples imply for the impact of public policies? To answer these questions, this thesis presents three interconnected chapters that examine the interplay between family structure, cultural factors, and public policy through complementary analytical frameworks. The first chapter explores how religiosity and education influence the division of labor within households, establishing theoretical and empirical foundations for understanding how cultural and economic factors jointly shape relationship choices and time allocation. The second chapter quantifies the relative importance of several different mechanisms through which religiosity influences household outcomes, shedding light on the role of cultural factors in marital choices and specialization, as well as the potential implications of demographic change. Finally, the third chapter turns to policy, analyzing how the value and impact of social safety net programs vary across household types and highlighting the importance of considering household diversity when designing and evaluating policies.