We model the consequences of parental control over choice of wives for sons, for parental incentives to educate daughters, when the marriage market exhibits competitive dowry payments and altruistic but paternalistic parents benefit from having married sons live with them. By choosing uneducated brides, some parents can prevent costly household partition. Paternalistic self-interest consequently generates low levels of female schooling in the steady state equilibrium. State payments to parents for educating daughters fail toraise female schooling levels. Policies (such as housing subsidies) that promote nuclear families, interventions against early marriages, and state support to couples who marry against parental wishes, are however all likely to improve female schooling. We offer evidence from India consistent with our theoretical analysis.
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Paper provided by University of Nottingham, CREDIT in its series Discussion Papers with number
06/03.
References listed on IDEAS Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
Kai A. Konrad & Harald Künemund & Kjell Erik Lommerud & Julio R. Robledo, 2002.
"Geography of the Family,"
American Economic Review,
American Economic Association, vol. 92(4), pages 981-998, September.
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Other versions:
Konrad, Kai A & Künemund, Harald & Lommerud, Kjell Erik & Robledo, Julio R, 1999.
"Geography of the Family,"
CEPR Discussion Papers
2312, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
[Downloadable!] (restricted)