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Gender of Children, Bargaining Power, and Intrahousehold Resource Allocation in China

Author Info

  • Lixing Li
  • Xiaoyu Wu

Abstract

Based on the prevalent son preference in China, this paper proposes a new measure of relative bargaining power within the household. Using data from China Health and Nutrition Survey, we show that a woman with a first-born son has a 3.9 percentage points’ greater role in household decision-making than a woman with a first-born daughter. Having a first-born son improves the mother’s nutrition intakes and reduces her likelihood of being underweight. While thinking of these impacts as being channeled through intrahousehold bargaining power, we cannot fully rule out other possible direct effects of a first-born son on the outcomes.

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File URL: http://jhr.uwpress.org/cgi/reprint/46/2/295
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Article provided by University of Wisconsin Press in its journal Journal of Human Resources.

Volume (Year): 46 (2011)
Issue (Month): 2 ()
Pages: 295-316

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Handle: RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:46:y:2011:ii:1:p:295-316
Contact details of provider: Web page: http://jhr.uwpress.org/

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  1. Chau, Tak Wai & Li, Hongbin & Liu, Pak Wai & Zhang, Junsen, 2007. "Testing the collective model of household labor supply: Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 389-402.
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Cited by:

  1. Samantha B. Rawlings, 2015. "Parental education and child health: Evidence from an education reform in China," CINCH Working Paper Series 1511, Universitaet Duisburg-Essen, Competent in Competition and Health, revised Aug 2015.
  2. Magnus Hatlebakk & Yogendra B. Gurung, 2014. "Female empowerment and education of children in Nepal," CMI Working Papers 7, CMI (Chr. Michelsen Institute), Bergen, Norway.
  3. Xiaoyu Wu & Lixing Li, 2012. "Family size and maternal health: evidence from the One-Child policy in China," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 25(4), pages 1341-1364, October.
  4. Ding, Weili & Zhang, Yuan, 2014. "When a son is born: The impact of fertility patterns on family finance in rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 192-208.
  5. Liu, Hong & Zhao, Zhong, 2011. "Parental Job Loss and Children’s Health: Ten Years after the Massive Layoff of the SOEs’ Workers in China," IZA Discussion Papers 5846, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  6. Li, Wenchao & Yi, Junjian, 2015. "The Competitive Earning Incentive for Sons: Evidence from Migration in China," IZA Discussion Papers 9214, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  7. Kang, Lili & Peng, Fei, 2012. "Siblings, public facilities and education returns in China," MPRA Paper 38922, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  8. Xiaodong Fan & Hanming Fang & Simen Markussen, 2015. "Mothers' Employment and Children's Educational Gender Gap," NBER Working Papers 21183, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  9. Doss, Cheryl, 2013. "Intrahousehold bargaining and resource allocation in developing countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6337, The World Bank.
  10. Dirk Bethmann & Robert Rudolf, 2015. "Happily ever after? Intrahousehold bargaining and the distribution of utility within marriage," Discussion Paper Series 1503, Institute of Economic Research, Korea University.
  11. Nuhu, Ahmed Salim, 2015. "Intra-Household Bargaining and Child Health Outcomes: Do Domestic Violence Laws Matter?," MPRA Paper 68630, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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