THE ECONOMISTS AND THE FORMATION OF COUPL ES - THE WORKING OF MARRIAGE MARKET

This survey summarizes the main ideas that economists bring to the ana lysis of marriage and divorce. The new perspective of economists is th at marriage, when viewed as a voluntary union of rational individuals, is subject to the same tools of analysis as other economic phenomena. In particular, economists rely heavily on the similitary between the job market, where workers and firms combine to produce marketable good s, and the marriage market where husbands and wives combine to produce non marketable household goods. In both cases the forces of competiti on determine the assignment and the associated division of the proceed s between the partners. This survey does not enumerate individual cont ributions and does not summarize empirical findings. Instead, the read er is exposed to the main ideas in an integrated fashion, using simple models. Such a presentation of the literature can be useful to gradua te students and researchers who wish to get acquainted with what can e conomics say on ''non-economic'' marriage, resource allocation within the family and the role of altruism, assortative matching and search f or a mate.