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Village Economies and the Structure of Extended Family Networks

Author

Listed:
  • Angelucci Manuela

    (University of Arizona)

  • De Giorgi Giacomo

    (Stanford University)

  • Rangel Marcos

    (University of Chicago)

  • Rasul Imran

    (University College London)

Abstract

This paper documents how the structure of extended family networks in rural Mexico relates to the poverty and inequality of the village of residence. Using the Hispanic naming convention, we construct within-village extended family networks in 504 poor rural villages. Family networks are larger (both in the number of members and as a share of the village population) and out-migration is lower the poorer and the less unequal the village of residence. Our results are consistent with the extended family being a source of informal insurance to its members.

Suggested Citation

  • Angelucci Manuela & De Giorgi Giacomo & Rangel Marcos & Rasul Imran, 2009. "Village Economies and the Structure of Extended Family Networks," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 9(1), pages 1-46, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:bejeap:v:9:y:2009:i:1:n:44
    DOI: 10.2202/1935-1682.2291
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    Cited by:

    1. Angelucci, Manuela & De Giorgi, Giacomo & Rangel, Marcos A. & Rasul, Imran, 2010. "Family networks and school enrolment: Evidence from a randomized social experiment," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(3-4), pages 197-221, April.
    2. Ingela Alger & Jörgen W. Weibull, 2019. "Evolutionary Models of Preference Formation," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 11(1), pages 329-354, August.
    3. Ingela Alger & Laura Juarez & Miriam Juarez-Torres & Josepa Miquel-Florensa, 2023. "Do Women Contribute More Effort than Men to a Real Public Good?," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 37(2), pages 205-220.
    4. Alger, Ingela & Juarez, Laura & Juarez-Torres, Miriam & Miquel-Florensa, Josepa, 2016. "Do informal transfers induce lower efforts? Evidence from lab-in-the-field experiments in rural Mexico," TSE Working Papers 16-623, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE), revised Sep 2018.
    5. Hiwatari, Masato, 2016. "Social networks and migration decisions: The influence of peer effects in rural households in Central Asia," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 1115-1131.
    6. Denni Tommasi, 2016. "Household Responses to cash Transfers," Working Papers ECARES ECARES 2016-20, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    7. Wu, Bao & Wang, Qi & Fang, Chevy-Hanqing & Tsai, Fu-Sheng & Xia, Yuanze, 2022. "Capital flight for family? Exploring the moderating effects of social connections on capital outflow of family business," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    8. Rafael P. Ribas, 2014. "Liquidity Constraints, Informal Financing, and Entrepreneurship: Direct and Indirect Effects of a Cash Transfer Programme," Working Papers 131, International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth.
    9. Masahiro Shoji & Keitaro Aoyagi & Ryuji Kasahara & Yasuyuki Sawada, 2020. "Motives behind community participation: Evidence from natural and artefactual field experiments in Sri Lanka," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(5), pages 577-600, December.
    10. Cecilia Peluffo & Mariana Viollaz, 2021. "Intra-household exposure to labor market risk in the time of Covid-19: lessons from Mexico," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 327-351, June.
    11. World Bank Group, 2015. "Tanzania Mainland Poverty Assessment," World Bank Publications - Reports 22021, The World Bank Group.
    12. Ara Jo, 2019. "The Effect of Migration on Trust in Communities of Origin," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 39(2), pages 1571-1585.
    13. Bram De Rock & Tom Potoms & Denni Tommasi, 2022. "Household Responses to Cash Transfers," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 70(2), pages 625-652.
    14. Orazio P. Attanasio & Valérie Lechene, 2014. "Efficient Responses to Targeted Cash Transfers," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 122(1), pages 178-222.
    15. Rafael P. Ribas, 2020. "Liquidity constraints, spillovers, and entrepreneurship: evidence from a cash transfer program," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 55(4), pages 1131-1158, December.
    16. Qingzhi Sun & Guanyi Yin & Wei Wei & Zhan Zhang & Guanghao Li & Shenghao Zhu, 2024. "Social Network Analysis of Farmers after the Private Cooperatives’ “Intervention” in a Rural Area of China—A Case Study of the XiangX Cooperative in Shandong Province," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-22, April.
    17. Ingela Alger & Laura Juarez & Miriam Juarez-Torres & Josepa Miquel-Florensa, 2020. "Do Informal Transfers Induce Lower Efforts? Evidence from Lab-in-the-Field Experiments in Rural Mexico," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 69(1), pages 107-171.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    extended family network; migration; village inequality; village marginality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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