Intergenerational transfers in Philippine rice villages. Gender differences in traditional inheritance customs

J Dev Econ. 1994 Apr;43(2):167-95. doi: 10.1016/0304-3878(94)90003-5.

Abstract

PIP: The author presents findings from a study of education, land, and nonland asset transfers from parents to children in 344 households in five rice villages in the Philippines. A model with family fixed effects is developed which explains transfers better than either individual heterogeneity or observed parent and child characteristics without family fixed effects. Analysis revealed that families facing different land constraints exhibit significantly different patterns of educational investment in children. In a subsample with completed inheritance, daughters receive less education, land, and total inheritance, but are compensated with nonland assets. Parents also exhibit preferential behavior toward children of the same gender such that daughters of better educated mothers receive more land, nonland assets, and total inheritance. Better educated fathers, however, give land preferentially to sons, but favor daughters in education.

MeSH terms

  • Asia
  • Asia, Southeastern
  • Data Collection*
  • Demography
  • Developing Countries
  • Economics*
  • Educational Status*
  • Family Characteristics*
  • Models, Theoretical*
  • Ownership
  • Philippines
  • Population
  • Population Characteristics
  • Research
  • Rural Population*
  • Sampling Studies
  • Sex Factors*
  • Social Class
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Wills*