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The Role of Social Norms in Child Labor and Schooling in India

Author

Listed:
  • Rubiana Chamarbagwala

    (Indiana University Bloomington)

  • Rusty Tchernis

    (Indiana University Bloomington)

Abstract

This paper aims to summarize the unexplained propensity of children to engage in work, school, or neither. After controlling for a wide range of determinants of child labor, schooling, and idleness, we estimate a hierarchical model that allows for heteroskedastic, spatially correlated random effects. We use the posterior distribution of ranks of random effects to capture social norms toward children’s activities in each district and thus identify those Indian districts where social attitudes favor education and oppose child labor and idleness. We propose that government intervention be targeted at districts with pro-schooling, anti-child-labor, and anti-idleness social attitudes if limited government resources necessitate implementing minimal cost policies that have the greatest potential to succeed.

Suggested Citation

  • Rubiana Chamarbagwala & Rusty Tchernis, 2006. "The Role of Social Norms in Child Labor and Schooling in India," CAEPR Working Papers 2006-016, Center for Applied Economics and Policy Research, Department of Economics, Indiana University Bloomington.
  • Handle: RePEc:inu:caeprp:2006016
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    File URL: https://caepr.indiana.edu/RePEc/inu/caeprp/caepr2006-016.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Xiaohui Hou, 2010. "Wealth: Crucial but Not Sufficient - Evidence from Pakistan on Economic Growth, Child Labour and Schooling," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(3), pages 439-465.
    2. Jellal, Mohamed & Tarbalouti, Essaid, 2012. "Institutions éducation et travail des enfants [Institutions education and child labor]," MPRA Paper 39384, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Kimhi, Ayal, 2007. "Does Land Reform In Transition Countries Increase Child Labor? Evidence From The Republic Of Georgia," Discussion Papers 7147, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Department of Agricultural Economics and Management.
    4. Goto, Hideaki, 2011. "Social norms, inequality and child labor," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 806-814.
    5. Shirit Katav Herz & Gil S. Epstein, 2022. "Social norms and child labor," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(2), pages 627-638, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Child Labor; Education; Spatial Dependence; Social Norms; India;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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