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

35 Pages Posted: 18 Oct 2006

See all articles by Rubiana M. Chamarbagwala

Rubiana M. Chamarbagwala

Indiana University Bloomington - Department of Economics

Rusty Tchernis

Georgia State University - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Date Written: October 17, 2006

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.

Keywords: Child Labor, Education, Spatial Dependence, Social Norms, India

JEL Classification: I20, J24

Suggested Citation

Chamarbagwala, Rubiana M. and Tchernis, Rusty, The Role of Social Norms in Child Labor and Schooling in India (October 17, 2006). CAEPR Working Paper No. 2006-016, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=938091 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.938091

Rubiana M. Chamarbagwala (Contact Author)

Indiana University Bloomington - Department of Economics ( email )

Wylie Hall
Bloomington, IN 47405-6620
United States

Rusty Tchernis

Georgia State University - Department of Economics ( email )

P.O. Box 3992
Atlanta, GA 30302-3992
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www2.gsu.edu/~ecort

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

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IZA Institute of Labor Economics ( email )

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