Education and consanguineous marriage

Abstract

At least one of every five marriages is consanguineous (between couples who aresecond cousins or closer) in the Middle East and North Africa, and the rate ishigher than 50% in some parts of the world. We find that a Turkish education re-form that increased mandatory schooling by 3 years made women less likely tofind consanguineous marriage an acceptable practice. The reform reduced wom-en’s propensity to marry a first cousin or a blood relative, and it altered women’spreferences in favor of personal autonomy, indicating that educational attain-ment alters behaviors and attitudes that may be rooted in culture.