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Early Marriage, Social Networks and the Transmission of Norms

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  • M. Niaz Asadullah
  • Zaki Wahhaj
Abstract
We investigate whether female early marriage is a conduit for the transmission of social norms, specifically norms relating to gender roles and rights within the household. We exploit differences in age at menarche between sisters as an exogenous source of variation in marriage age. This approach allows us to control for beliefs and attitudes that are transmitted from parents to children. Using a sample of unmarried adolescents, we first show that the timing of menarche has no direct effect on adolescent attitudes towards gender norms. Yet we find that early marriage increases agreement with statements supportive of traditional gender roles and gender bias in the allocation of resources. We also find some evidence that early marriage worsens the (self‐reported) quality of a woman's post‐marital social network.

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  • M. Niaz Asadullah & Zaki Wahhaj, 2019. "Early Marriage, Social Networks and the Transmission of Norms," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 86(344), pages 801-831, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:econom:v:86:y:2019:i:344:p:801-831
    DOI: 10.1111/ecca.12291
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    1. M. Niaz Asadullah & Elisabetta De Cao & Fathema Zhura Khatoon & Zahra Siddique, 2021. "Measuring gender attitudes using list experiments," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 34(2), pages 367-400, April.
    2. Idrissa Diabate & Sandrine Mesplé-Somps, 2019. "Female genital mutilation and migration in Mali: do return migrants transfer social norms?," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 32(4), pages 1125-1170, October.
    3. Amin, Sajeda & Asadullah, Niaz & Hossain, Sara & Wahhaj, Zaki, 2016. "Can Conditional Transfers Eradicate Child Marriage?," IZA Policy Papers 118, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Biswas, Shreya & Das, Upasak, 2022. "Adding fuel to human capital: Exploring the educational effects of cooking fuel choice from rural India," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    5. Seth R. Gitter & Onyedikachukwu Onyemeziem & William Corcoran, 2023. "Menarche, Marriage Age, Education, and Employment in Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia," Working Papers 2023-04, Towson University, Department of Economics, revised Sep 2023.
    6. Villar, Paola, 2021. "Paternal mortality, early marriages, and marital trajectories in Senegal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    7. Amr Ragab & Ayhab F. Saad, 2023. "The effects of a negative economic shock on male marriage in the West Bank," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 789-814, September.
    8. Chen, Yi & Zhao, Yi, 2022. "The timing of first marriage and subsequent life outcomes: Evidence from a natural experiment," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 713-731.
    9. Amirapu, Amrit & Asadullah, Niaz & Wahhaj, Zaki, 2024. "Can the Law Affect Attitudes and Behaviour in the Absence of Strict Enforcement? Experimental Evidence from a Child Marriage Reform in Bangladesh," IZA Discussion Papers 17410, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Silvia P. Canelón & Mary Regina Boland, 2020. "A Systematic Literature Review of Factors Affecting the Timing of Menarche: The Potential for Climate Change to Impact Women’s Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-24, March.
    11. Amirapu, Amrit & Asadullah, M. Niaz & Wahhaj, Zaki, 2022. "Social barriers to female migration: Theory and evidence from Bangladesh," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    12. Asnaashary, Mozhgan & Farzanegan, Mohammad Reza & Feizi, Mehdi & Gholipour, Hassan F., 2024. "Economic determinants of child marriage: Evidence from the Iranian provinces," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    13. Jorge García Hombrados, 2017. "Child Marriage and Infant Mortality: Evidence from Ethiopia," Working Paper Series 1317, Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School.
    14. Jorge Garcia Hombrados, 2018. "Empirical essays on development economics," Economics PhD Theses 0318, Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School.
    15. Amirapu, Amrit & Asadullah, M Niaz & Wahhaj, Zaki, 2022. "Can Child Marriage Law Affect Attitudes and Behaviour in the Absence of Strict Enforcement? Experimental Evidence from Bangladesh," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1107, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    16. Li, Chuhui & Cheng, Wenli & Shi, Hui, 2021. "Early marriage and maternal health care utilisation: Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    17. Saqib Jafarey & Ram Mainali & Gabriel Montes‐Rojas, 2020. "Age at marriage, social norms, and female education in Nepal," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(3), pages 878-909, August.
    18. Wahhaj, Zaki, 2018. "An economic model of early marriage," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 147-176.

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    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General

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