Television and Divorce: Evidence from BrazilianNovelas
利用巴西Globo电视台信号覆盖时间差异和三次人口普查数据，发现该台肥皂剧信号覆盖后女性分居或离婚比例显著上升，对较小地区影响更强。
In this paper we study the link between television and divorce in Brazil. We exploit variation in the timing of availability of the signal of Rede Globo—the network that had a virtual monopoly on telenovelas in the country—across municipal areas. Using three rounds of census data (1970, 1980, and 1991) and controlling for area fixed effects and for time-varying characteristics, we find that the share of women who are separated or divorced increases significantly after the Globo signal becomes available. The effect is robust to controlling for potential determinants of Globo's entry strategy and is stronger for relatively smaller areas, where the signal reaches a higher fraction of the population.