Children’s Gender and Men’s Income: Evidence from Iran

Abbasi Hossein A. () and Karimi Seyed M. ()
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Abbasi Hossein A.: Economics Department, University of Maryland, 3114 Tydings Hall, 7343 Preinkert Dr., College Park, MD20742, USA
Karimi Seyed M.: Department of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, University of Washington Tacoma, GWP 228, Box 358436, 1900 Commerce Street, Tacoma, WA98402, USA

Review of Middle East Economics and Finance, 2017, vol. 13, issue 1, 19

Abstract: In many societies, men work for more hours and acquire higher wages if they have sons versus daughters. Gender bias, higher returns to male children’s human capital, and higher costs of raising male children are hypothesized to explain this behavior. Among these, gender bias has received stronger support from empirical studies. Using a four-year panel dataset, we show that a different institutional setting may make men respond to their children’s gender differently. We study men’s income in a dotal society, Iran, where families are expected to provide dowry for their marrying daughters. We show that, in contrast to the findings in developed countries, Iranian men earn more income when they have daughters versus sons, and we argue that the institution of marriage is the major reason for this unconventional finding.

Keywords: children’s gender; man’s income; marriage; dotal society (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J12 J13 J16 J22 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1515/rmeef-2016-0028

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