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Colonial origin, ethnicity, and intergeneration mobility in Africa

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  • Patricia Funjika
  • Yoseph Getachew

Abstract

This paper estimates the relationship between differences in skills measured among within-country ethnic groups and individual human capital accumulation in eight African countries. Our results show that the skills of an individual in these countries depends more on the human capital levels of their parents' ethnic group (ethnic capital) than on parental investment. Therefore, differences in initial levels of ethnic capital may explain the persistence of ethnicitybased differences in educational attainment over time.

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  • Patricia Funjika & Yoseph Getachew, 2019. "Colonial origin, ethnicity, and intergeneration mobility in Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2019-64, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2019-64
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Colonialism; Education; Ethnicity; Human capital; Intergenerational Mobility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion
    • N37 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Africa; Oceania

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