Ease of remarriage for females: a cross-cultural test of competing explanations.

Abstract

Using data on the relative status of women in 93 societies, the authors attempt "to identify and test two explanations for the existence of sex biases in norms governing remarriage. These explanations focus on the benefits derived from imposing restrictions on women's opportunities in the remarriage process and the countervailing power women command to resist subordination and the limitation of their freedom." Results of a multiple classification analysis indicate that "both theories taken together do predict cross-cultural variation in sex biases in remarriage norms. In general, women experience more difficulty than men in remarriage in societies where females have little power in domestic contexts, there is low value attached to women's economic contribution and women have little control over property, control of female sexual expression is high, and the levirate is practiced."