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Patrilineality, fertility, and women's income: Evidence from family lineage in China

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  • Zhang, Lin

Abstract

This study investigates how traditional patrilineal family institution influences women's income through fertility behavior by offering evidence from family lineage (zongzu) in China. We hypothesize that family with strong lineage—proxied by owning genealogy—has a negative effect on women's income through the son-targeting fertility behavior. Using a difference-in-differences strategy, this study confirms the hypothesis. Relative to the women whose first child is a son, the women marring into families owning genealogy indeed have more children and lower income, if their first child is a daughter. In contrast, such finding does not hold for the male sample. Preliminary evidence suggests that shorter work time can explain the findings.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang, Lin, 2022. "Patrilineality, fertility, and women's income: Evidence from family lineage in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:74:y:2022:i:c:s1043951x22000633
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2022.101805
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    Cited by:

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Patrilineality; Lineage; Fertility; Gender inequality; One-child policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • 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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