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Resilience in Youth: Evidence from a Forced Migration in China

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  • Weina Zhou

    (Department of Economics, Dalhousie University)

Abstract

This paper uses the send-down movement during the Chinese Cultural Revolution to study the impact of forced migration during youth on individuals’ outcomes in later years. The massive send-down movement (1968-1978) forced more than 16 million urban youths to move to rural areas to carry out agricultural field work. I utilize a rich set of family background information when the youths were 18 years old, and compare the send-downs with their closest counterparts—non-send-downs. Multiple surveys provide consistent evidence that the send- downs are 7 percentage points more likely to have had re-schooling after their return to urban areas; children of the send-downs are 9 percentage points more likely to attend college and have 0.5 more years of education. Evidence also suggests that compared to the non-send-downs, the send-downs spend more on their children’s education. This paper presents a unique outcome of resilience for youths after forced migration.

Suggested Citation

  • Weina Zhou, 2017. "Resilience in Youth: Evidence from a Forced Migration in China," Working Papers daleconwp2017-04, Dalhousie University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:dal:wpaper:daleconwp2017-04
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