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Economics and Family Structures

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  • Thomas TB Baudin
  • Bram De Rock
  • Paula Eugenia Gobbi

Abstract

Household decisions are one of the key elements impacting many dimensions of any economy. In this paper, we review the economic literature onfamily types, focusing on nuclear, stem, and complex families. We show that family types are heterogeneous across and within countries, both inthe past and in present times. We argue that economists have focused too much their analysis on nuclear families, which may limit our capacity toanalyze the impact of institutional phenomena or public policies. We establish how each family type could relate to the basic ingredients of standardstructural models of household decisions. We believe this overview sets the stage for an interesting research avenue to improve the structural models of household decision making.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas TB Baudin & Bram De Rock & Paula Eugenia Gobbi, 2021. "Economics and Family Structures," Working Papers ECARES 2021-21, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
  • Handle: RePEc:eca:wpaper:2013/331659
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Family structures; Economic development; Household decisions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure

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