How Does a Rural Poverty Alleviation Program Affect Parents’ Aspirations About Their Children? Evidence from BRAC-TUP in Bangladesh
研究孟加拉国针对极端贫困家庭的扶贫项目对父母职业期望的意外影响，发现项目缩小了对男孩的期望差距，但可能强化了女孩的传统性别角色。
This paper analyses the unintended effects of a randomised controlled trial in Bangladesh targeting the ultra-poor on parental occupational aspirations for their children. Because significant aspirational gaps exist between poor and wealthy households, as well as between boys and girls, this study analyses whether a graduation-type program can reduce these gaps. Because the intervention bundles different services including the transfer of a productive asset, training, coaching, and a monthly stipend, this research explores which components of the intervention might be driving changes in aspirations. Further, it analyses whether higher aspirations are linked to better educational outcomes. Using a difference-in-differences strategy, the results indicate that the intervention reduces the aspirational gaps for boys only, whereas for girls the intervention could be reinforcing traditional gender roles.