Shi, "Gender-biased education investment intention among Chinese rural parents: A glimpse into the intra-household resource allocation process," 1997

Ping Shi, M.S.

Abstract (Summary)
Based on the rural area data from the National Household Economy and Fertility Survey in 1991 in China, this paper was focused on the intra-household resource allocation in terms of education. By examining how Chinese parents intend to distribute their present family resources for their children's human capital investment, the paper aimed to assess whether this distribution is contingent upon the gender of a given child. This paper found that traditional preference for son among Chinese parents is accompanied with a male-biased intra-household resource allocation decision. Generally, Chinese rural parents expect higher education attainment for their sons than for their daughters. Especially, for families who have both boys and girls, the boy's education is to be supported with a sacrifice of the female child in the family. Controlling all socioeconomic variables constant, the existence of one or more sons in a family suppresses the parents' intended level of education investments in the female child.

Advisor: Heer, David