Sons, Land Division, Inheritance, and Household Labor Allocation Strategies

Abstract

The impact of land division on the size of household land holdings in Gove, and the diversification of labor into nonfarm occupations to supplement farm incomes, were discussed briefly in Chapter 3. In Chapters 4 and 5 the enduring preference for sons was seen as closely tied to cultural traditions, especially inheritance and continuation of the family line. This chapter provides information on the experiences of individual farmers and Gove families across generations. In particular, the implications of having several sons for land division, inheritance and household labor allocation, and for the situation of sisters and daughters, are examined from a longitudinal perspective. It has been noted that empirical studies of inheritance such as this are rare (Deininger et al., 2013), as are in depth studies of rural farmers in India (Deb, 2011).

Rupali is 37 years old and left school after completing 8th standard. She stayed home for two years helping her parents on their farm. She had wanted a husband with a job but got a farmer with no education instead. Her mother-in-law told her to do all the housework and not complain. She would go to the field early, telling Rupali to make her lunch and join her in the field. If she was late her mother-in-law criticized her, saying there was hardly any work at home so she should come on time. Rupali has two sons. She also had two miscarriages and one infant death, a three-month-old girl. Her mother-in-law blamed her for the miscarriages. It was often difficult for Rupali to get money for her children’s school expenses. The doctor advised her not to do hard work because of her miscarriages so her husband took the decision to live separately. Now they have only a small piece of land (1.5 acres) but things are better. “Now our children respect us more too,” she says.

(Rupali¹ Gove village, Field notes, 2008)