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Within-Family Inequalities in Human Capital Accumulation in India: Birth Order and Gender Effects

Author

Listed:
  • Congdon Fors, Heather

    (Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University)

  • Lindskog, Annika

    (Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University)

Abstract

In this paper we investigate birth order and gender effects on the development of children’s human capital in India. We investigate both indicators of the child’s current stock of human capital and of investment into their continued human capital accumulation, distinguishing between time investments and pecuniary investment into school quality. Our results show that in India, birth order effects are mostly negative. More specifically, birth order effects are negative for indicators of children's accumulated human capital stock and for indicators of pecuniary investments into school quality. These results are more in line with previous results from developed countries than from developing countries. However, for time investments, which are influenced by the opportunity cost of child time, birth order effects are positive. Gender aspects are also important. Girls are disadvantaged within families, and oldest son preferences can explain much of the within-household inequalities which we observe.

Suggested Citation

  • Congdon Fors, Heather & Lindskog, Annika, 2017. "Within-Family Inequalities in Human Capital Accumulation in India: Birth Order and Gender Effects," Working Papers in Economics 700, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:gunwpe:0700
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2077/52351
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Annika Lindskog, 2018. "Diversification of Human Capital Investments in Rural Ethiopia," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 30(4), pages 676-692, September.
    2. Vinish Shrestha & Rashesh Shrestha, 2017. "Intergenerational effect of education reform: mother's education and children's human capital in Nepal," Working Papers 2017-05, Towson University, Department of Economics, revised Oct 2017.
    3. Maximilian Schwefer, 2018. "Birth Order Effects and Educational Achievement in the Developing World," ifo Working Paper Series 282, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    4. Ashwini Deshpande & Apoorva Gupta, 2019. "Nakusha? Son Preference, Resource Concentration and Gender Gaps in Education," Working Papers 1020, Ashoka University, Department of Economics.
    5. Ashwini Deshpande & Apoorva Gupta, 2019. "Nakusha? Son Preference, Resource Concentration and Gender Gaps in Education," Working Papers 13, Ashoka University, Department of Economics.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Birth order; Son preferences; Gender; Human Capital; Education;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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