The Transmission of Son Preference

Abstract

This paper studies how cultures diffuse across groups and persist over time. I exploit the quasi-random settlement of Chinese migrants in Taiwan following the Kuomintang Retreat and the 1985 Legalization of Abortion to identify the transmission of son preference. Variation in exposure to ancestor worship captures variation in migrants’ son preference. I show that son preference diffuses from migrants to locals and persists through paternal lineage and migrant communities. Horizontal transmission accounts for a larger aggregate impact, whereas vertical transmission exhibits a stronger marginal effect. The results highlight the central role of social interactions, beyond families, in shaping cultural change.