Child Gender and Parental Investments in India: Are Boys and Girls Treated Differently?

54 Pages Posted: 10 May 2010

See all articles by Silvia Barcellos

Silvia Barcellos

Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR)

Leandro Carvalho

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Adriana Lleras-Muney

Princeton University - Princeton School of Public and International Affairs; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Date Written: March 10, 2010

Abstract

There is considerable debate in the literature as to whether boys and girls are treated differently in India. But son-biased stopping rules imply that previous estimates are likely to be biased. The authors propose a novel identification strategy to properly identify the effects of child gender on parental investments. Using data from a time use survey they document gender differences in childcare time which have not been studied before in developing countries. They find that boys receive on average 10% more time than girls. They are also more likely to be breastfed for longer, given vaccinations and vitamin supplementation.

Suggested Citation

Barcellos, Silvia and Carvalho, Leandro and Lleras-Muney, Adriana, Child Gender and Parental Investments in India: Are Boys and Girls Treated Differently? (March 10, 2010). RAND Working Paper Series WR- 756, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1604233 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1604233

Silvia Barcellos (Contact Author)

Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) ( email )

635 Downey Way
Los Angeles, CA 90089-3332
United States

Leandro Carvalho

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

Adriana Lleras-Muney

Princeton University - Princeton School of Public and International Affairs ( email )

Princeton University
Princeton, NJ 08544-1021
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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