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Multiple Social Interaction and Reproductive Externalities: An Investigation of Fertility Behaviour in Kenya

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  • Iyer, S.
  • Weeks, M.

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of reproductive externalities on fertility behaviour in Kenya by quantifying the effects of group membership on the number of children born. We focus on the identification of structural forms of social interaction operating across individuals in the context of fertility behaviour. While structural forms of dependence may be separated from residual dependence, we also highlight the importance of difference expressions of structural dependence, including multiple expressions of social interaction. Using this idea of multiple social interactions, we use the 1998 Demographic and Health Survey on 5994 women from Kenya to examine whether the ‘local’ effect of household-level influences and cluster-level residential settlement is important relative to the more ‘global’ effect of ethnicity on fertility behaviour. In so doing, we conclude that the importance of multiple social interactions is that the assumption of a single model of interaction can lead to incorrect inferences.

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File URL: http://www.econ.cam.ac.uk/dae/repec/cam/pdf/cwpe0461.pdf
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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge in its series Cambridge Working Papers in Economics with number 0461.

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Length: 59
Date of creation: Nov 2004
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Handle: RePEc:cam:camdae:0461

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Related research

Keywords: fertility behaviour; strategic complementarities; social interaction; endogenous effects; ethnicity; Kenya;

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References

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  1. Kohler, Hans-Peter, 2001. "Fertility and Social Interaction: An Economic Perspective," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199244591.
  2. Horst, Ulrich & Scheinkman, Jose A., 2006. "Equilibria in systems of social interactions," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 130(1), pages 44-77, September.
  3. repec:att:wimass:9127 is not listed on IDEAS
  4. Aggarwal, Rimjhim & Netanyahu, Sinaia & Romano, Claudia, 2001. "Access to natural resources and the fertility decision of women: the case of South Africa," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 6(02), pages 209-236, May.
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  7. Karsten Hank, 2001. "Regional social contexts and individual fertility decisions: a multilevel analysis of first and second births in Western Germany," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2001-015, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
  8. Timothy Guinnane & Carolyn Moehling & Cormac O Grada, 2001. "Fertility in South Dublin a Century Ago: A First Look," Working Papers 838, Economic Growth Center, Yale University.
  9. Edward L. Glaeser & Jose A. Scheinkman, 1999. "Measuring Social Interactions," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 1878, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
  10. Mullahy, John, 1986. "Specification and testing of some modified count data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 341-365, December.
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  14. Bernheim, B Douglas, 1994. "A Theory of Conformity," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 102(5), pages 841-77, October.
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  16. George A. Akerlof, 1997. "Social Distance and Social Decisions," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 65(5), pages 1005-1028, September.
  17. Donna Ginther & Robert Haveman & Barbara Wolfe, 2000. "Neighborhood Attributes as Determinants of Children's Outcomes: How Robust Are the Relationships?," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 35(4), pages 603-642.
  18. Moulton, Brent R., 1986. "Random group effects and the precision of regression estimates," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 385-397, August.
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  21. Manski, Charles F, 1993. "Identification of Endogenous Social Effects: The Reflection Problem," Review of Economic Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(3), pages 531-42, July.
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Cited by:
  1. Glaser, Darrell J., 2009. "Teenage dropouts and drug use: Does the specification of peer group structure matter?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 497-504, August.
  2. Ethan Cohen-Cole & Giulio Zanella, 2008. "Welfare Stigma or Information Sharing? Decomposing Social Interactions Effects in Social Benefit Use," Department of Economics University of Siena 531, Department of Economics, University of Siena.
  3. Ethan Cohen-Cole & Giulio Zanella, 2007. "Unpacking social interactions," Risk and Policy Analysis Unit Working Paper QAU07-4, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
  4. Ethan Cohen-Cole, 2005. "Resolving the Identification Problem in Linear Social Interactions Models: Modeling with Between-Group Spillovers," Others 0501001, EconWPA.

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