Sibling Influence on the Human Capital of the Left Behind

24 Pages Posted: 4 Jan 2014 Last revised: 16 Apr 2023

See all articles by Costanza Biavaschi

Costanza Biavaschi

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Corrado Giulietti

Department of Economics

Klaus F. Zimmermann

Global Labor Organization (GLO); UNU-MERIT; Maastricht University, Department of Economics; Free University Berlin; University of Bonn; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); Journal of Population Economics

Abstract

While a growing literature has analyzed the effects of parental migration on the educational outcomes of children left behind, this is the first study to highlight the importance of sibling interactions in such a context. Using panel data from the RUMiC Survey, we find that sibling influence on schooling performance is stronger among left- behind children. Hence, parental migration seems to trigger changes in the roles and effects among children. However, it is primarily older sisters who exhibit a positive influence on their younger siblings. We corroborate our results by performing a series of tests to mitigate endogeneity issues. The results from the analysis suggest that sibling effects in migrant households might be a mechanism to shape children's outcomes and success and that adjustments within the family left behind have the potential to generate benefits – or reduce hardship – in response to parental migration.

Keywords: human capital, siblings, left behind

JEL Classification: O15, J61

Suggested Citation

Biavaschi, Costanza and Giulietti, Corrado and Zimmermann, Klaus F., Sibling Influence on the Human Capital of the Left Behind. IZA Discussion Paper No. 7859, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2374640 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2374640

Costanza Biavaschi (Contact Author)

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) ( email )

Høgskoleringen
Trondheim NO-7491, 7491
Norway

Corrado Giulietti

Department of Economics ( email )

University Rd.
Southampton SO17 1BJ, Hampshire SO17 1LP
United Kingdom

Klaus F. Zimmermann

Global Labor Organization (GLO) ( email )

Bonn
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://https://glabor.org/

UNU-MERIT ( email )

Keizer Karelplein 19
Maastricht, 6211TC
Netherlands

Maastricht University, Department of Economics ( email )

P.O. Box 616
Maastricht, Limburg 6200MD
Netherlands

University of Bonn

Postfach 2220
Bonn, D-53012
Germany

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

Journal of Population Economics

Tiergartenstr. 17
D-69121 Heidelberg
Germany

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
49
Abstract Views
574
PlumX Metrics