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On the Timing of Marriage, Cattle, and Shocks

Author

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  • Johannes Hoogeveen
  • Bas van der Klaauw
  • Gijsbert van Lomwel

Abstract

In this paper, we focus on the timing of marriage of women, whose marriages are associated with bride wealth payments. These payments concern transfers from (the family of) the groom to the bride's family. Unmarried daughters could, therefore, be considered part of the asset portfolio of the household that, at times of need, can be cashed. We investigate, both theoretically and empirically, to what extent the timing of marriage of a daughter is affected by the economic conditions of the household from which she originates. We distinguish household-specific wealth levels and two types of shocks: correlated (weather) shocks and idiosyncratic (wealth) shocks. We estimate a duration model using a unique panel survey of Zimbabwean smallholder farmers. The estimation results support the hypothesis that the timing of marriage is affected by household characteristics; girls from households that experienced a negative idiosyncratic (wealth) shock are more likely to marry.

Suggested Citation

  • Johannes Hoogeveen & Bas van der Klaauw & Gijsbert van Lomwel, 2011. "On the Timing of Marriage, Cattle, and Shocks," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 60(1), pages 121-154.
  • Handle: RePEc:ucp:ecdecc:doi:10.1086/661215
    DOI: 10.1086/661215
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Foster, Andrew & Gökçe, Merve Betül & Kirdar, Murat Güray, 2023. "Intergenerational Power Shift and the Rise of Non-arranged Marriages among Refugees," IZA Discussion Papers 16348, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Isabelle Chort & Rozenn Hotte & Karine Marazyan, 2021. "Income shocks, bride price and child marriage in Turkey," Working papers of Transitions Energétiques et Environnementales (TREE) hal-03258215, HAL.
    3. Corno, Lucia & Voena, Alessandra, 2023. "Child marriage as informal insurance: Empirical evidence and policy simulations," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    4. Trong-Anh Trinh & Quanda Zhang, 2021. "Adverse shocks, household expenditure and child marriage: evidence from India and Vietnam," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 61(3), pages 1617-1639, September.
    5. Lucia Corno & Nicole Hildebrandt & Alessandra Voena, 2016. "Weather Shocks, Age of Marriage and the Direction of Marriage Payments," DISCE - Working Papers del Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza def040, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE).
    6. Magda Tsaneva, 2020. "The Effect of Weather Variability on Child Marriage in Bangladesh," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(8), pages 1346-1359, November.
    7. Goh, Amelia H. X., 2012. "A literature review of the gender-differentiated impacts of climate change on women's and men's assets and well-being in developing countries:," CAPRi working papers 106, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Orsola Torrisi, 2022. "Wedding Amidst War? Armed Conflict and Female Teen Marriage in Azerbaijan," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 38(5), pages 1243-1275, December.
    9. Marshall Burke & Erick Gong & Kelly Jones, 2015. "Income Shocks and HIV in Africa," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 125(585), pages 1157-1189, June.
    10. Romano, Donato & Carraro, Alessandro, 2015. "Price Shocks, Vulnerability and Food and Nutrition Security among Rural and Urban Households in Tanzania," 2015 Fourth Congress, June 11-12, 2015, Ancona, Italy 207281, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA).
    11. Lucia Corno & Nicole Hildebrandt & Alessandra Voena, 2020. "Age of Marriage, Weather Shocks, and the Direction of Marriage Payments," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 88(3), pages 879-915, May.
    12. Luis G. BECERRA - VALBUENA & Katrin MILLOCK, 2021. "Gendered migration responses to drought in Malawi," JODE - Journal of Demographic Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 87(3), pages 437-477, September.
    13. Orsola Torrisi, 2021. "A 'bright' side of war? Armed conflict and female teen marriage in Azerbaijan," HiCN Working Papers 359, Households in Conflict Network.

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