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Do Parents Risk Aversion and Wealth Explalin Secondary School Choice?

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  • Marco Leonardi

    (University of Milan, IZA)

Abstract

Using data in which individual risk aversion is measured from answers to a lottery question, I investigate if (and to what extent) parents’ risk aversion and wealth can explain secondary schooling choices of young Italians. The question is relevant because the type of secondary school is likely to affect accession to college and the future performance in the labor market. I find that risk aversion has no effect on the choice of secondary school while family wealth is significantly positively associated to the choice of “Liceo”. OLS and IV estimates show that parents’ wealth has a significantly larger effect in liquidity constrained families (4% of the sample). This finding points to the necessity of introducing schooling grants at lower levels of schooling.

Suggested Citation

  • Marco Leonardi, 2007. "Do Parents Risk Aversion and Wealth Explalin Secondary School Choice?," Giornale degli Economisti, GDE (Giornale degli Economisti e Annali di Economia), Bocconi University, vol. 66(2), pages 177-206, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gde:journl:gde_v66_n2_p177-206
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Romina Boarini, 2009. "Towards better Schools and more Equal Opportunities for Learning in Italy," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 727, OECD Publishing.
    2. Christian Belzil & Marco Leonardi, 2013. "Risk Aversion and Schooling Decisions," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 111-112, pages 35-70.
    3. Checchi, Daniele & Fiorio, Carlo V. & Leonardi, Marco, 2014. "Parents' risk aversion and children's educational attainment," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 164-175.
    4. Fragetta, Matteo, 2010. "Identification in Structural Vector Autoregressions Through Graphical Modelling and Monetary Policy: A Cross-Country Analysis," CELPE Discussion Papers 112, CELPE - CEnter for Labor and Political Economics, University of Salerno, Italy.
    5. Wölfel, Oliver & Heineck, Guido, 2012. "Parental risk attitudes and children's secondary school track choice," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(5), pages 727-743.
    6. Huebener, Mathias, 2015. "The role of paternal risk attitudes in long-run education outcomes and intergenerational mobility," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 64-79.
    7. Checchi, Daniele & Fiorio, Carlo V. & Leonardi, Marco, 2013. "Intergenerational persistence of educational attainment in Italy," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 118(1), pages 229-232.
    8. Daniela Bellani & Luis Ortiz-Gervasi, 2022. "Parental time preferences and educational choices: The role of children’s gender and of social origin," Rationality and Society, , vol. 34(1), pages 96-125, February.
    9. Rayner Tabetando, 2019. "Parental risk aversion and educational investment: panel evidence from rural Uganda," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 647-670, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    risk aversion; education; human capital;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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