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Gendered effects of early childhood weather shocks on locus of control: evidence from 28 agricultural countries

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  • Masahiro Shoji

    (The University of Tokyo)

Abstract

To what extent do socioeconomic conditions in early life shape individuals’ noncognitive skills? Using exogenous variation in the timing of weather shocks in 28 agricultural countries, I examine the impact of shocks in childhood on adult locus of control. The results show that experiencing rainfall shortages before age five causes individuals to believe that they cannot control their life outcomes. The impact is larger and persists longer for females, and the gender difference in the impact of weather shocks accounts for 21% of the gender difference in the adult locus of control. Rainfall shocks also decrease females’ political participation.

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  • Masahiro Shoji, 2023. "Gendered effects of early childhood weather shocks on locus of control: evidence from 28 agricultural countries," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 36(3), pages 1363-1393, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jopoec:v:36:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s00148-022-00923-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s00148-022-00923-z
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Noncognitive skills; Gender gap; Political participation; Fetal origins hypothesis; World Values Survey; Parenting; Child development;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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