Education and gender bias in the sex ratio at birth: Evidence from India

Abstract

This article investigates the possible existence of a nonlinear link between female disadvantage in natality and education. To this end, we devise a theoretical model based on the key role of social interaction in explaining people's acquisition of preferences, which justifies the existence of a nonmonotonic relationship between female disadvantage in natality and education. The empirical validity of the proposed model is examined for the case of India, using district-level data. In this context, our econometric analysis pays particular attention to the role of spatial dependence to avoid any potential problems of misspecification. The results confirm that the relationship between the sex ratio at birth and education in India follows an inverted U-shape. This finding is robust to the inclusion of additional explanatory variables in the analysis, and to the choice of the spatial weight matrix used to quantify the spatial interdependence between the sample districts.

Heterogeneities in utilization of antenatal care in Uttar Pradesh, India: the need to contextualize interventions to individual contexts

“…For example, consider the complex relationship that might exist between education and district sex ratios. The relationship between a district sex ratio and the literacy rate in India follows a nonlinear, inverted U-shaped pattern, as a result of the double role played by education in the Indian context [16]. Education plays a positive role in reducing gender inequality by instilling in people values that do not give preference to either sex; conversely education can further the disparity in sex ratios by increasing an individual’s autonomy to use prenatal sex-detection technologies [17].…”

Older Parents Enjoy Better Filial Piety and Care From Daughters Than Sons in China

“…Sons were preferred to daughters in most societies for thousands of years (Arnold and Zhaoxiang 1986; Johansson and Nygren 1991; Yang and Wang 2003), and this pattern still persists in China, India and many other developing countries and some Eastern European countries (Banister 2004; Echávarri and Ezcurra 2010; Edlund and Lee, 2013; Guilmoto and Duthé, 2013; Seth 2010). The sentiment behind the old Chinese saying “ Yang Er Fang Lao ” -- Having a son (rather than a daughter) prevents difficulties in old age-- is a belief held by many Chinese and is one of the main reasons for strong son-preference.…”

Women’s Political Empowerment and Investments in Primary Schooling in India

“…These were the percentage of the population that was urban to capture the overall level of industrialization (Meyer et al 1979), decennial population growth rate to capture the rate of change in population size (Clots-Figueras 2011; McLendon et al 2005; Pal and Ghosh 2008), rate of literacy for women seven years and older to capture pre-existing levels of education (Dye 1966, 1969), percentage of the population that was from SC/STs (Pal and Ghosh, 2008), and ratio of girls to boys 0 – 6 years in the population to capture gender discrimination (Echávarri and Ezcurra, 2010). In sensitivity analyses (see Analysis ), we added a sixth control variable of region to adjust for fixed, unmeasured regional attributes (like religious composition, culture, language, or economic infrastructure) that may be related to the explanatory variables and outcomes (Meyer et al 1979; Renzulli and Roscigno 2005; Roy et al 2000).…”