The Quantity-Quality Tradeoff of Children in a Developing Country: Identification Using Chinese Twins
Author(s) / Creator(s)
Li, Hongbin
Zhang, Junsen
Zhu, Yi
Abstract / Description
Testing the tradeoff between child quantity and quality within a family is complicated by the endogeneity of family size. Using data from the Chinese Population Census, this paper examines the effect of family size on child educational attainment in China. We find a negative correlation between family size and child outcome, even after we control for the birth order effect. We then instrument family size by the exogenous variation that is induced by a twin birth, and find a negative effect of family size on children's education. We also find that the effect of family size is more evident in rural China, where the public education system is poor. Given that our estimates of the effect of twinning on non-twins at least provide the lower bound of the true effect of family size (Rosenzweig and Zhang, 2006), these findings suggest a quantity-quality tradeoff of children in developing countries.
Keyword(s)
Kompromiss Qualität Quantität Zwilling China Kompromiss Qualität Quantität Zwilling China quantity-quality tradeoff twins ChinaPersistent Identifier
Date of first publication
2007
Is part of series
Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit/ Institute for the Study of Labor: IZA Discussion Paper Series;3012
Citation
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dp3012.pdfAdobe PDF - 367.92KBMD5: c909dc8d01501579e61bff465e2547b2
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There are no other versions of this object.
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Li, Hongbin
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Zhang, Junsen
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Zhu, Yi
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PsychArchives acquisition timestamp2022-11-17T11:09:50Z
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Made available on2008-06-03
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Made available on2015-12-01T10:32:10Z
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Made available on2022-11-17T11:09:50Z
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Date of first publication2007
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Abstract / DescriptionTesting the tradeoff between child quantity and quality within a family is complicated by the endogeneity of family size. Using data from the Chinese Population Census, this paper examines the effect of family size on child educational attainment in China. We find a negative correlation between family size and child outcome, even after we control for the birth order effect. We then instrument family size by the exogenous variation that is induced by a twin birth, and find a negative effect of family size on children's education. We also find that the effect of family size is more evident in rural China, where the public education system is poor. Given that our estimates of the effect of twinning on non-twins at least provide the lower bound of the true effect of family size (Rosenzweig and Zhang, 2006), these findings suggest a quantity-quality tradeoff of children in developing countries.en
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Persistent Identifierhttps://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bsz:291-psydok-16273
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Persistent Identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11780/1098
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Persistent Identifierhttps://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.9216
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Language of contenteng
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Is part ofIZA Discussion Paper Series No. 3012
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Is part of seriesForschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit/ Institute for the Study of Labor: IZA Discussion Paper Series;3012
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Keyword(s)Kompromissde
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Keyword(s)Qualitätde
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Keyword(s)Quantitätde
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Keyword(s)Zwillingde
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Keyword(s)Chinade
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Keyword(s)Kompromissde
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Keyword(s)Qualitätde
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Keyword(s)Quantitätde
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Keyword(s)Zwillingde
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Keyword(s)Chinade
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Keyword(s)quantity-quality tradeoffen
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Keyword(s)twinsen
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Keyword(s)Chinaen
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Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)150
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TitleThe Quantity-Quality Tradeoff of Children in a Developing Country: Identification Using Chinese Twinsen
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DRO typereport
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Visible tag(s)PsyDok