Abhishek Kumar, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

Several studies from developed countries have demonstrated important effects of parents’ fertility behavior on their children’s fertility preferences and behavior; but little is known on such issue from developing countries. This study advances our understanding of this inter-generational influence on fertility in context of developing countries, by extending the theoretical model to include parental preferences, sibling behavior. Using primary data of pair of daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law from rural Bihar, we test the effect of both mothers-in-law’s and mothers’ fertility and preference for daughters-in-law/daughters fertility. We also examined the influence of siblings’ fertility on the fertility preferences of daughters-in-law. Although both, mothers-in-law/mothers fertility and preferences, influence childbearing preferences of daughters-in-law, mothers’ actual fertility and preferences for their daughter’s fertility have the stronger and more proximate effects. Own and spousal siblings’ fertility is an additional determinant of daughters-in-law‘s family size preferences. Mothers’ preferences continue to influence their children’s preferences through early adulthood.