Intergenerational linkages in consumption patterns and the geographical distribution of surnames

Abstract

This paper attempts to detect the existence of links in consumption patterns between generations. Preferences over consumption goods may be determined by the preferences of parents and/or by preferences arising from the environment. We propose an indirect methodology to overcome the lack of data on consumption choices of dynasties, i.e., parents and their adult o¤spring. This new approach is based on the analysis of the correlation between the geographical distributions of surnames and consumption choices. We show that there is no signi…cant intergenerational link on consumption patterns for non-food goods. Our results also suggest that there is a link between parents' and children's preferences over food items. JEL classi…cation: D12, R23.

Three-generation mobility in the United States, 1850–1940: The role of maternal and paternal grandparents

“…The opposite is true of the coe cient on maternal G1: this is higher for G3 females, and this di↵erence is always significant (p-value reported in the last row of the table). 14 These results reinforce our previous findings on gender di↵erences in the transmission of income across three generations. We discuss alternative economic mechanisms that can rationalize these gendered patterns of intergenerational transmission in the next Section.…”

Surname affinity in Santiago, Chile: A network-based approach that uncovers urban segregation

“…The association between income and surname diversity is not unique to Chile. Collado et al [26] find that rare surnames are over-represented in elite spaces in Spain. The reason, they argue, is that, in the past, socially ascendant individuals attempted to distinguish themselves from the lower classes by double-barrelling their surnames.…”

In the Family Way: Bringing a Mother-Daughter (Matrilineal) Perspective to Retail Innovation and Consumer Culture

“…The logic here is that women, as mothers, transfer norms and values to other women, as daughters, who in turn inherit and internalise these organising norms as their own. Intergenerational researchers adopt a parental modelling approach and offer empirical verification for these representations (Collado et al, 2012;Wilkie and Moore, 2005). Intergenerational transmission is a form of market stability that can be used to underpin theories of consumer socialisation and long-term brand value and brand equity development (Esktrom, 2007;Minahan and Huddleston, 2010).…”