Reports
Discussion Papers
No.477 Religion and Polygamy: Evidence from the Livingstonia Mission in Malawi
by KUDO Yuya
September 2014
ABSTRACT
In
contrast
to
the
prevailing
preconception,
Christian
females
engage
in
polygyny
in
most
of
sub-Saharan
Africa.
Based
on
individual-level
data
provided
by
the
Demographic
and
Health
Survey
(2000,
2004,
2010)
in
Malawi,
this
study
explores
whether
Christian
identity
reduces
the
likelihood
that
females
enter
into
polygyny.
To
address
the
endogeneity
associated
with
this
identity,
the
analysis
adopts
an
instrumental
variable
(IV)
approach
by
exploiting
the
unique
setting
of
a
Christian
mission
dating
back
to
the
late
19th
century.
Exposure
to
the
mission,
measured
by
geographical
distance
to
the
influential
mission
station,
Livingstonia,
enabled
the
indigenous
population
to
gradually
convert
to
Christianity.
This
is
particularly
true
for
the
local
population
not
belonging
to
the
Yao,
an
ethnic
group
that
was
largely
proselytized
into
Islam
because
of
their
historical
connection
with
the
Arabs.
Using
the
distance-ethnicity
(non-Yao)
interaction
as
an
IV
for
women's
Christian
identity,
with
numerous
historical,
geographic,
and
climate
controls,
this
study
discovers
that
compared
to
those
practicing
other
religions
(Islam
and
other)
or
no
religion,
Christian
females
are
indeed
less
likely
to
form
polygynous
unions.
This
study
also
provides
some
evidence
suggesting
that
the
Christianity
effects
are
more
evident
in
a
society
at
a
more
primitive
stage
of
development.
Keywords:
Christianity,
Culture,
Gender,
Mission,
Polygyny,
Religion
JEL
classification:
J12,
N37,
Z12,
Z13
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