The effects of gender control on fertility and children's consumption |
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Authors: | Davies J B Zhang J |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Economics, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada N6A 5C2, CA;(2) Department of Economics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong (Fax: (852) 2603 5805, e-mail: jszhang@cuhk.edu.hk), HK |
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Abstract: | Effects of sex preference on investments in children‘s human capital, bequests and fertility are studied, with and without
sex selection, in a model based on parental altruism. Both pure sex preference, a feature of the parental utility function,
and indirect preference, which arises from gender-related differences in earnings opportunities, are examined. When there
is no gender control the impact of pure sex preference is seen in smaller consumption for daughters than for sons. However,
when gender control is exerted, sex preference raises the sex ratio and it is possible that sisters may, on average, consume
no less than their more numerous brothers. In an example of the model with specific functional forms, parents who practise
gender control have larger families than if sex selection techniques were unavailable. The effect is magnified if sons‘ earnings
opportunities are better than daughters‘.
JEL classification: D11, J13, J16
Received August 31, 1995 / Accepted May 2, 1996 |
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Keywords: | : Sex preferences sex selection fertility children‘ s consumption |
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