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Are Investments in Daughters Lower When Daughters Move Away?

Author

Listed:
  • Michael Kevane

    (Department of Economics, Santa Clara University)

  • David I. Levine

    (Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley)

Abstract

In much of the developing world daughters receive lower education and other investments than do their brothers, and may even be so devalued as to suffer differential mortality. Daughter disadvantage may be due in part to social norms that prescribe that daughters move away from their natal family upon marriage, a practice known as virilocality. We evaluate the effects of virilocality on female disadvantage using data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey. We find little support for the hypothesis. There is no evidence that the overall pattern of rough equality in the treatment of boys and girls in Indonesia masks differences according to post-marital residential practice. Virilocal groups do not have "missing daughters." Nor is there other evidence of son preference, such as in relatively low height for- age or education for girls and women in virilocal areas. Explanations of daughter disadvantage as due to virilocality should be subject to further scrutiny and contextualization.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Kevane & David I. Levine, 2003. "Are Investments in Daughters Lower When Daughters Move Away?," Development and Comp Systems 0303002, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpdc:0303002
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael Kevane & David I. Levine, 2003. "Changing Status of Daughters in Indonesia," Development and Comp Systems 0303003, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Anderson, K.S., 2000. "The Economics of Dowry Payments in Pakistan," Other publications TiSEM 61a6a8f7-c0a4-4dc1-8ca0-9, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    3. Kevane, Michael & Levine, David I., 2000. "The Changing Status of Daughters in Indonesia," Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, Working Paper Series qt09m817c0, Institute of Industrial Relations, UC Berkeley.
    4. Anderson, K.S., 2000. "The Economics of Dowry Payments in Pakistan," Discussion Paper 2000-82, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    5. Thomas, Duncan & Contreras, Dante & Frankerberg, Elizabeth, 2002. "Distribution of power within the household and child health," MPRA Paper 80075, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Mar 2002.
    6. Kevane, Michael & Levine, David I., 2003. "Changing Status of Daughters in Indonesia," Center for International and Development Economics Research, Working Paper Series qt0b52v28f, Center for International and Development Economics Research, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Zimmermann, Laura, 2018. "It’s a boy! Women and decision-making benefits from a son in India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 326-335.
    3. Olivier Bargain & Jordan Loper & Roberta Ziparo, 2020. "Traditional Norms, Access to Divorce and Women’s Empowerment: Evidence from Indonesia," Working Papers hal-03258226, HAL.
    4. Daniel Suryadarma, 2015. "Gender differences in numeracy in Indonesia: evidence from a longitudinal dataset," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(2), pages 180-198, April.
    5. Ferry Prasetyia, 2019. "The role of local government policy on secondary school enrolment decision in Indonesia," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 9(2), pages 139-172, June.
    6. Ahmed Elsayed & Olivier Marie, 2020. "Less School (Costs), More (Female) Education? Lessons from Egypt Reducing Years of Compulsory Schooling," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 20-037/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    7. Kenayathulla, Husaina Banu, 2016. "Gender differences in intra-household educational expenditures in Malaysia," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 59-73.
    8. Chen, Cheng & Chou, Shin-Yi & Gimenez, Lea & Liu, Jin-Tan, 2020. "The quantity of education and preference for sons: Evidence from Taiwan's compulsory education reform," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    9. Firman Witoelar, 2013. "Risk Sharing within the Extended Family: Evidence from the Indonesia Family Life Survey," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 62(1), pages 65-94.
    10. Bazarkulova, Dana & Compton, Janice, 2021. "Marriage traditions and investment in education: The case of bride kidnapping," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 147-163.
    11. Chakrabarti, Averi, 2021. "Deforestation and infant mortality: Evidence from Indonesia," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 40(C).
    12. Florencia Torche, 2019. "Educational mobility in developing countries," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2019-88, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    13. Abel Brodeur & Marie Christelle Mabeu & Roland Pongou, 2020. "Ancestral Norms, Legal Origins, and Female Empowerment," Working Papers 2002E, University of Ottawa, Department of Economics.
    14. Giuliano, Paola, 2020. "Gender and Culture," CEPR Discussion Papers 15185, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    15. Ray, Rita & Datta, Rajlakshmi, 2017. "Do separate female toilets in primary and upper primary schools improve female enrollment? A case study from India," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 263-273.
    16. Witoelar, Firman, 2005. "Inter-household Allocations within Extended Family: Evidence from the Indonesia Family Life Survey," Center Discussion Papers 28472, Yale University, Economic Growth Center.
    17. Asadullah, M. Niaz & Maliki,, 2018. "Madrasah for girls and private school for boys? The determinants of school type choice in rural and urban Indonesia," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 96-111.
    18. Bargain, Olivier B. & Loper, Jordan & Ziparo, Roberta, 2022. "Traditional Norms, Access to Divorce and Women's Empowerment," IZA Discussion Papers 15374, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    19. Bau, Natalie, 2019. "Can Policy Change Culture? Government Pension Plans and Traditional Kinship Practices," CEPR Discussion Papers 13486, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    20. Collins, Matthew, 2022. "Sibling Gender, Inheritance Customs and Educational Attainment: Evidence from Matrilineal and Patrilineal Societies," Working Papers 2022:5, Lund University, Department of Economics.
    21. Elmira, Elza S. & Chichaibelu, Bezawit Beyene & Qaim, Matin, 2024. "Marriage customs and nutritional status of men and women," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    22. Huisman, Janine & Smits, Jeroen, 2009. "Effects of Household- and District-Level Factors on Primary School Enrollment in 30 Developing Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 179-193, January.
    23. Daniel Suryadarma, 2010. "Labor Market Returns, Marriage Opportunities, or the Education System? Explaining Gender Differences in Numeracy in Indonesia," CEPR Discussion Papers 644, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Research School of Economics, Australian National University.
    24. Priebe, Jan, 2011. "Child Costs and the Causal Effect of Fertility on Female Labor Supply: An investigation for Indonesia 1993-2008," Proceedings of the German Development Economics Conference, Berlin 2011 67, Verein für Socialpolitik, Research Committee Development Economics.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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