Shifting Grounds: Social Norms and the Intergenerational Transmission of Wealth

Rossella Calvi, Aletheia Donald and Joao Montalvao

No 22015, CEPR Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Policy Research

Abstract: How do social norms shape the intergenerational allocation of land, particularly regarding gender equity? We combine experimental and administrative data from Senegal with a model of social interactions to study how parental preferences and community norms influence land allocation to sons and daughters. A choice experiment that randomizes land allocations and normative cues reveals that parents are more responsive to community norms when allocating land to daughters—a pattern subsequently borne out in administrative records. Simulations show that this asymmetry generates multiple equilibria in land allocation to daughters but not sons, so even modest shifts in perceived norms can meaningfully reduce gender gaps.

JEL-codes: J16 O12 Q15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-10
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