Résumé
On the basis of detailed information on inheritance practices collected in the course
of an in-depth survey of three Andean communities of Peru, and unlike most empirical studies
which rely on remittance functions, we have been able to estimate an inheritance function
with a view to identifying the main factors associated with particular patterns of land
bequests. A central result is that the positive relationship between caring and a favourable
access to land bequest indeed exists, yet is only observed for migrant children (whether urban
or rural, long-distance or short-distance migrants). Combined with other findings and
observations, this result strengthens the case for an interpretation based on an active role of
potential heirs in the determination of inheritance outcomes. It therefore calls into question
the strategic bequest theory which presumes that parents are the ultimate decision-makers in
this matter. In addition, our study shows that inheritance patterns are complex: besides migration
and caring behavior, personal characteristics of potential heirs, such as gender, birth order,
and family status (having children or not), do appear to influence division of parental land.
langue originale | Anglais |
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Pages (de - à) | 71-87 |
Nombre de pages | 17 |
journal | Journal of Development Economics |
Volume | 93 |
Numéro de publication | 1 |
Etat de la publication | Publié - 2010 |