Research

Developmental Idealism Theory

Allendorf, Keera, Arland Thornton, Linda Young-DeMarco, and Colter Mitchell. 2025. "The Influence of Developmental Idealism on Fertility." Demography 62(6):2203-2226.

[Open access version]

Allendorf, Keera, Susan E. Short, Nancy Luke, and Hongwei Xu. 2025. "Tackling Traditional: Tamil Gender Ideologies and their Socioeconomic Correlates." Sociology of Development 11(3): 210-238.

[SocArxiv version] [PMC version]

Richardson, Derek and Keera Allendorf. 2023. "Developmental Idealism and Beliefs about Marriage in the United States." Sociology of Development 9(1): 78-108.

[SocArxiv version]

Allendorf, Keera, Linda Young-DeMarco, and Arland Thornton. 2023. "Developmental Idealism and a Half Century of Family Attitudes in the United States." Sociology of Development 9(1): 1-32.

[SocArxiv version]

Allendorf, Keera and Arland Thornton. 2019. “New Research on Developmental Idealism: Introduction to the Special Issue.” Sociology of Development 5(3):225-228. 

[pdf version]

Allendorf, Keera and Arland Thornton, editors. 2019. “Special Issue on Developmental Idealism.” Sociology of Development 5(3):225-336. 

Sonless Families

Pandian, Roshan K. and Keera Allendorf. 2022. "The Rise of Sonless Families in Asia and North Africa." Demography 59(2):761-786.

[Open access version]  [Appendix] [Data: estimates & counterfactuals]

Allendorf, Keera. 2020. "Another Gendered Demographic Dividend: Adjusting to a Future Without Sons." Population and Development Review 46(3):471-499.                        

[PMC version] [SocArXiv version] 

Allendorf, Keera. 2015. "Fertility Decline, Gender Composition of Families, and Expectations of Old Age Support." Population Research and Policy Review 34(4):511-539. 

[PMC version]

Allendorf, Keera. 2012. “Like Daughter, Like Son? Fertility Decline and the Transformation of Gender Systems in the Family.” Demographic Research 27:429-454. 

[PMC version] 

Arranged Marriage

Allendorf, Keera. 2025. "Arranged Marriage." Pp. 76-88 in Research Handbook on Partnering across the Life Course, edited by Dimitri Mortelmans, Laura Bernardi, and Brienna Perelli-Harris. Edward Elgar Publishing.

[SocArxiv version]

Allendorf, Keera. 2019. “Parents’ Valuation of Approving a Child’s Spouse in a Context of Marital Change.” Journal of Family Issues 40(15):2097-2122.

[pdf version]

Allendorf, Keera. 2017. "Conflict and Compatibility? Developmental Idealism and Gendered Differences in Marital Choice." Journal of Marriage and Family 79(2):337-355.

[pdf version]

Allendorf, Keera and Roshan K. Pandian. 2016. "The Decline of Arranged Marriage? Marital Change and Continuity in India." Population and Development Review 42(3):435-464. 

[PMC version]

Allendorf, Keera and Arland Thornton. 2015. "Caste and Choice: The Influence of Developmental Idealism on Marriage Behavior." American Journal of Sociology 121(1):243-287. 

[PMC version]

Allendorf, Keera. 2013. “Schemas of Marital Change: From Arranged Marriages to Eloping for Love.” Journal of Marriage and Family 75(2):453-469. 

[PMC version] 

Marital Timing

Allendorf, Keera, Arland Thornton, Dirgha J. Ghimire, Linda Young-DeMarco, and Colter Mitchell. 2021. “A Good Age to Marry? An Intergenerational Model of the Influence of Marital Timing Attitudes on the Entrance into Marriage.”  European Journal of Population 37(1):179-209.

[PMC version]

Allendorf, Keera, Arland Thornton, Colter Mitchell, and Linda Young-DeMarco. 2019. “The Influence of Developmental Idealism on Marital Attitudes, Expectations, and Timing.” Journal of Family Issues 40(17):2359-2388. 

[PMC version] 

Allendorf, Keera, Arland Thornton, Colter Mitchell, Linda Young-DeMarco, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2017. “Early Women, Late Men: Timing Attitudes and Gender Differences in Marriage.” Journal of Marriage and Family 79(5):1478-1496.

[PMC version]

Health and Family 

Allendorf, Keera. 2013. “Going Nuclear? Family Structure and Young Women’s Health in India, 1992-2006.” Demography 50(3):853-880.

[pdf version]

Allendorf, Keera. 2013. “To Love and Look After: Exploring the Pathways Linking Family Relationship Quality to Maternal Health in India.” Journal of Family Issues 34(5):607-630.

[pdf version]

Guillot, Michel and Keera Allendorf. 2010. “Hindu-Muslim Differentials in Child Mortality in India.” Genus 66(2):43-68.

[pdf version]

Allendorf, Keera. 2010. “The Quality of Family Relationships and Use of Maternal Health-care Services in India.” Studies in Family Planning 41(4):263-276. 

[PMC version]

Allendorf, Keera. 2007. “Do Women’s Land Rights Promote Empowerment and Child Health in Nepal?” World Development 35(11):1975-1988. 

[PMC version]

Allendorf, Keera. 2007. “Couples’ Reports of Women’s Autonomy and Health-care Use in Nepal.” Studies in Family Planning 38(1):35-46.

[pdf version]

Relationship Quality

Allendorf, Keera. 2017. "Like Her Own: Ideals and Experiences of the Mother-in-law/Daughter-in-law Relationship." Journal of Family Issues 38(15): 2102-2127.

[PMC version]

Allendorf, Keera and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2013. “Determinants of Marital Quality in an Arranged Marriage Society.” Social Science Research 42(1):59-70. 

[PMC version]

Allendorf, Keera. 2012. “Marital Quality from a Rural Indian Context in Comparative Perspective.” Journal of Comparative Family Studies 43(4): 527-544. 

[PMC version] 

Allendorf, Keera. 2012. “Women’s Agency and the Quality of Family Relationships in India.” Population Research and Policy Review 31(2): 187-206. 

[PMC version] 

Family Collaborations: Humans and the Environment

Allendorf, Teri and Keera Allendorf. 2013. “Gender and Attitudes toward Protected Areas in Myanmar.” Society & Natural Resources 26(8):962-976.

Allendorf, Teri and Keera Allendorf. 2012. “The Role of Gender in Park-People Relationships in Nepal.” Human Ecology 40(5):789-796.

Allendorf, Teri, Khaing Khaing Swe, Thida Oo, Ye Htut, Myint Aung, Myint Aung, Keera Allendorf, Lee-Ann Hayek, Peter Leimgruber, and Chris Wemmer. 2006. “Community Attitudes Toward Three Protected Areas in Upper Myanmar (Burma).” Environmental Conservation 33(4):344-352.