Welfare consequences of coresiding with the mother-in-law in patriarchal joint families for women an...

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" Welfare consequences of coresiding with the mother-in-law in patriarchal joint families for women and children: Evidence from India and Bangladesh "
Rekha Puthenpurackel Varghese R. LaLonde

Document Type	:	Latin Dissertation
Language of Document	:	English
Record Number	:	55380
Doc. No	:	TL25334
Call number	:	‭3362317‬
Main Entry	:	Rekha Puthenpurackel Varghese
Title & Author	:	Welfare consequences of coresiding with the mother-in-law in patriarchal joint families for women and children: Evidence from India and Bangladesh\ Rekha Puthenpurackel Varghese
College	:	The University of Chicago
Date	:	2009
Degree	:	Ph.D.
student score	:	2009
Page No	:	232-n/a
Abstract	:	In many Asian, Arab and African countries, where the patriarchal joint family is ubiquitous, most rural women live with the mother-in-law during early married life. During the years when women make vital fertility and human capital decisions, they are under the supervision of the mother-in-law. My dissertation explores the effects of this inter-generational, within gender, power dynamics on the welfare of women and children of India and Bangladesh. Chapter One analyzes the health consequences of coresidence during pregnancy in rural North India. National Family Health Survey 2005-06 provides the data. Coresident mother-in-law is potentially a valuable resource in pregnancy. She offers protection to pregnant women from anemia and facilitates iron supplementation. Their children are less likely to have below average birthsizes. Women from nuclear families are the worst off. Changes in the prevalence and consequences of coresidence over time and across regions are explored in the second chapter using National Family Health Survey, 2005-2006 and 1998-1999. A majority of pregnant women live with parents-in-law. The beneficial 'mother-in-law effect' is slightly stronger in North India compared to the South; the effect hasn't waned in the North between the two survey rounds. In the third chapter, coresidence effect on the autonomy and human capital of rural Bangladeshi daughters-in-law are evaluated. The dataset is Matlab Health and Socio-economic Survey 1996. Living with the mother-in-law undermines a woman's decision making capability and wellbeing. Coresident women are less likely to participate in organizations like microcredit projects. Mothers-in-law adversely affect daughters-in-law's BMI. While coresidence does not affect contraception, the result is mediated by the desire for more children. The finding that the wellbeing of women and children is dependent on household structure highlights an avenue for policy intervention. Targeting awareness generation tools at mothers-in-law has the potential to improve the effectiveness of developmental programs, in wide ranging areas from women's healthcare to microcredit, and promote women's empowerment.
Subject	:	Health and environmental sciences; Social sciences; India; Reproductive health; Intrahousehold bargaining; Gender; Nutrition; Women's autonomy; Mother-in-law; Bangladesh; Coresidency; Womens studies; Economics; Public health; Individual family studies; Demography; Welfare; Families family life; Children youth; 0938:Demography; 0628:Individual family studies; 0510:Economics; 0453:Womens studies; 0573:Public health
Added Entry	:	R. LaLonde
Added Entry	:	The University of Chicago