Neighbors or Neighborhoods? Effects on Marriage Timing in Nepal

Scott T. Yabiku, Arizona State University

Research into the effects of neighborhoods often proceeds without distinguishing between neighborhoods and neighbors. Without this distinction, questions remain as to whether it is the people or the place that influences individuals living in an area. In this paper, I explore the differences between the effects of neighbors and neighborhoods. Using data from the Chitwan Valley Family Study, I study the transition to marriage in a setting undergoing rapid social change. I hypothesize three mechanisms by which neighbors influence individuals: information, social modeling, and sanctions and rewards. I examine three domains in which these mechanisms are likely to operate: education, media consumption, and attitudes. Results indicate that when neighbors have more education, higher media consumption, and attitudes favoring later marriage, marriage rates decrease. Some effects of neighbors, however, may be due to characteristics of neighborhoods in which both the respondent and the neighbors live.