Does Educational Superiority Autonomize Daughters-in-Law Who Live With Their Mothers-in-Law in India? A Test of Caldwell’s Thesis

Caldwell hypothesized that: 1) Indian daughters-in-law have less autonomy if they live with their mothers-in-law; but 2) even then, they can gain situational advantage over her if they are educationally superior to her. We tested these two hypotheses with data from the National Family Health Survey II (1998–1999) in the Republic of India. We measured women’s autonomy along three dimensions: a wife’s freedom to 1) go to market without permission, 2) set aside money for her own usage, and 3) have voice in the decision to obtain health care for herself. The first hypothesis was supported on all three dimensions. The second hypothesis was rejected on the first dimension of women’s autonomy but supported on the other two dimensions. The contextual effects of region, religion, urbanism, employment for cash, and level of a woman’s education are discussed, along with the implications for public policy and future research.