Uncovering Son Preference Cultures from Migrants under Endogenous Destination Selection

Kai Liu, Xiangqing Liu, Anwen Zhang and Zhongliang Deng

Working Papers from Business School - Economics, University of Glasgow

Abstract: This paper examines the cultural component of son preference through rural-to-urban migration in China, using a large representative dataset covering migrants from all origins to all destinations. Employing a generalized Roy model with a control function approach, we show that conventional epidemiological-approach estimates overstate cultural persistence. Correcting for endogenous destination selection reduces the estimated effect of origin-specific son preference on migrants’ fertility behavior by 57–71%. Differences among migrants in the same destination therefore reflect both cultural influences and non-random sorting. We further find that cultural persistence weakens in higher-income destinations but strengthens in areas with greater migrant concentration.

Keywords: Son preference; cultural persistence; endogenous migration; destination selection; fertility behavior; sex ratios; rural-to-urban migration; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J13 J61 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-06
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gla:glaewp:2026_05

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