Conflict and Gender Norms

704/2024 Mark Dincecco, James Fenske, Bishnupriya Gupta and Anil Menon

We study the relationship between exposure to historical conflict involving heavy weaponry and male-favoring gender norms. We argue that the physical nature of such conflict produced cultural norms favoring males and male offspring. We focus on spatial variation in gender norms across India, a dynamic developing economy in which gender inequality persists. We show robust evidence that areas with high exposure to pre-colonial conflict are significantly more likely to exhibit male-favoring gender norms as measured by male-biased sex ratios and crimes against women. We document how conflict-related gender norms have been transmitted over time via male-favoring folkloric traditions, the gender identity of temple gods, and patrilocal exogamy, and have been transmitted across space by migrants originally from areas with high conflict exposure. Our results shed new light on the deep roots of gen- der norms in the developing world, and provide a novel answer to India’s “missing women” problem.

(Revised December 2024)

Culture, Behaviour and Development

The Social Science Research Network

https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4751560