Lifestyles of the rich and polygynous in Cote d’Ivoire

This paper investigates whether the sources of income, not just the levels, determine whether an individual is monogamous. Our results support the idea that polygyny stunts development by allowing wealthy men to acquire wives rather than investing in child quality. ► We examine the marriage patterns...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Economics letters 2012-06, Vol.115 (3), p.404-407
Main Authors: Gould, Eric D., Moav, Omer, Simhon, Avi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Côte d'Ivoire
Economic theory
Human capital
Income
Inequality
Marriage
Monogamy
Polygyny
Studies
Wealth
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Summary:This paper investigates whether the sources of income, not just the levels, determine whether an individual is monogamous. Our results support the idea that polygyny stunts development by allowing wealthy men to acquire wives rather than investing in child quality. ► We examine the marriage patterns of wealthy men. ► We show that wealthier men are more polygynous and have more children. ► But wealth acquired from human capital reduces fertility and polygyny.
ISSN:0165-1765
1873-7374
DOI:10.1016/j.econlet.2011.12.064