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The quantity of education and preference for sons: Evidence from Taiwan's compulsory education reform

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  • Chen, Cheng
  • Chou, Shin-Yi
  • Gimenez, Lea
  • Liu, Jin-Tan

Abstract

This paper attempts to identify the causal effect of parental education on the male ratio at birth. To deal with the endogeneity of parental education, we exploit Taiwan's educational reform in 1968 making education compulsory up to the ninth grade. Based on a uniquely large and detailed administrative data set from Taiwan, our results show that the average education level of mothers is positively related to the male ratio at birth, both in the case of high-parity births and when mothers are at least 30 years old.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Cheng & Chou, Shin-Yi & Gimenez, Lea & Liu, Jin-Tan, 2020. "The quantity of education and preference for sons: Evidence from Taiwan's compulsory education reform," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:59:y:2020:i:c:s1043951x19301300
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2019.101369
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kevane, Michael & Levine, David I., 2003. "Are Investments in Daughters Lower When Daughters Move Away?," Center for International and Development Economics Research, Working Paper Series qt5xv3g4sd, Center for International and Development Economics Research, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
    2. Shin-Yi Chou & Jin-Tan Liu & Michael Grossman & Ted Joyce, 2010. "Parental Education and Child Health: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Taiwan," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(1), pages 33-61, January.
    3. Ansley Coale & Judith Banister, 1994. "Five decades of missing females in China," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 31(3), pages 459-479, August.
    4. Levine, David & Kevane, Michael, 2003. "Are Investments in Daughters Lower when Daughters Move Away? Evidence from Indonesia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 1065-1084, June.
    5. Rohini Pande & Nan Astone, 2007. "Explaining son preference in rural India: the independent role of structural versus individual factors," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 26(1), pages 1-29, February.
    6. Becker, Gary S, 1981. "Altruism in the Family and Selfishness in the Market Place," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 48(189), pages 1-15, February.
    7. Ming-Jen Lin & Jin-Tan Liu & Nancy Qian, 2014. "More Missing Women, Fewer Dying Girls: The Impact Of Sex-Selective Abortion On Sex At Birth And Relative Female Mortality In Taiwan," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 12(4), pages 899-926, August.
    8. Rebeca Echávarri & Roberto Ezcurra, 2010. "Education and gender bias in the sex ratio at birth: Evidence from India," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 47(1), pages 249-268, February.
    9. Tin-chi Lin, 2009. "The decline of son preference and rise of gender indifference in Taiwan since 1990," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 20(16), pages 377-402.
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    Cited by:

    1. Qianqian Shang & Quanbao Jiang & Yongkun Yin, 2022. "How Does Children's Sex Affect Parental Sex Preference: Preference Adaptation and Learning," Working Papers wp2022_2202, CEMFI.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Male ratio at birth; Parental education; Son preference; Taiwan;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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