Property Rights, Marriage, and Fertility in the Italian Alps, 1790–1820

B-Tier
Journal: Explorations in Economic History
Year: 2019
Volume: 71
Issue: C
Pages: 72-92

Score contribution per author:

0.670 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Does property rights allocation on the commons affect marriage strategies and fertility? We focus on the role played by patrilineal vs. egalitarian inheritance systems. Our approach combines a theoretical model and an empirical study that exploits an institutional shock at the turn of the 19th century, which made inheritance on the common property-resources egalitarian for everyone. We report that – as predicted by the model – communities with patrilineal inheritance rights on the commons exhibit higher levels of endogamy and consanguinity and lower fertility than those with egalitarian inheritance rights.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:exehis:v:71:y:2019:i:c:p:72-92
Journal Field
Economic History
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25