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Differences between sons and daughters in the intergenerational transmission of wealth
Monique Borgerhoff Mulder1, Mary C Towner2, Ryan Baldini3
11 Department of Anthropology, University of California Davis , Davis, CA , USA.
Summary
This study found that wealth transmission between parents and children varies significantly across cultures, with no universal pattern of favoring sons. Parent-offspring wealth correlations show diverse patterns of sex bias, challenging assumptions of consistent male advantage.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Anthropology
- Behavioral Economics
- Human Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- Gender inequality and sex-biased inheritance are persistent areas of interest.
- Previous research has focused on economic and anthropological perspectives on intergenerational privilege transmission.
- Cross-cultural data on parent-offspring wealth correlations varying by offspring sex has been lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a focused cross-cultural investigation of parent-offspring wealth correlations across different offspring sexes.
- To analyze variations in wealth transmission patterns (somatic and relational wealth) across diverse populations.
- To develop a model for understanding sex-biased parental investment through wealth correlations.
Main Methods:
- Estimation of parent-offspring correlations for 38 wealth measures in 15 populations.
- Populations included hunter-gatherers and small-scale farmers.
- Development of a model to link wealth correlations to parental investment biases.
Main Results:
- No evidence of ubiquitous male bias in wealth transmission was found when comparing parent-son and parent-daughter correlations.
- Significant variation in sex bias signatures was observed, with instances of both son-biased and daughter-biased transmission.
- Parent-offspring wealth correlations provide insights into sex-biased parental investment under specific conditions.
Conclusions:
- Intergenerational wealth correlations are highly variable across cultures and offspring sex.
- Normative kinship systems (e.g., patrilineal inheritance) do not fully capture wealth transmission dynamics.
- Findings contribute to understanding the evolution of kinship systems and sex-biased parental investment.
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