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on Development |
| By: | Hailemariam, Abebe; Lukas, Erica; Mavisakalyan, Astghik; True, Jacqui |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the effect of proximity to mining activity on men's adherence to traditional masculinity norms. Combining geocoded survey data with detailed spatial information on mining activity across 37 countries, we employ an instrumental variable strategy that exploits exogenous variation in geological mineral endowments and global commodity prices to address endogeneity concerns. We find that residing within 20 km of an active mine increases conformity to traditional masculinity norms approximately by 0.29 points on a four-point scale. The effects are concentrated in the violence and help avoidance dimensions, indicating that men living near active mines display greater tolerance of aggression and stronger resistance to help-seeking - traits closely aligned with the masculine culture of extractive workplaces. Heterogeneity analyses further show that these effects are strongest among lower-educated, unmarried, and older men. The results are robust to an alternative difference-in-differences identification strategy comparing areas near active versus inactive mines and to the use of an alternative measure of traditional gender role attitudes as the outcome variable. The analysis of mechanisms suggests that mining proximity increases male employment in the extractive sector while reducing female labor force participation in surrounding communities. These findings provide new insights into how extractive industries can shape and reinforce traditional masculinity norms in mining communities. |
| Keywords: | Mining, Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory, Gender Norms, Gender Equality, Sustainable Development Goal 5 |
| JEL: | J16 J24 O13 Q33 Z13 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1742 |
| By: | Michele Battisti (University of Palermo); Antonio Francesco Gravina (University of Messina); Matteo Lanzafame (Asian Development Bank) |
| Abstract: | Structural transformation is a central driver of economic development, yet recent challenges such as premature deindustrialization have raised critical questions about whether low-income economies can still follow traditional growth paths that rely on manufacturing expansion to drive productivity gains. Building on a theoretical model that incorporates learning-by-doing mechanisms, sectoral employment reallocation, and factor accumulation, we examine labor productivity growth trajectories using a panel of 31 developing and emerging economies over 1960–2019, detecting a data-driven structural break in 1982 that fundamentally altered productivity growth dynamics. To account for the potential heterogeneity in how structural transformation affects different types of economies, we employ quantile-based techniques to examine effects across different segments of the productivity growth distribution, moving beyond conventional approaches that focus on average effects and may obscure important distributional patterns. The unconditional quantile regression results identify manufacturing expansion as a key driver of productivity growth, with employment reallocation in this sector delivering twice the productivity benefits for slower-growing economies compared to high performers. The quantile decomposition further shows that observable characteristics and unobservable factors became increasingly important determinants of productivity performance following the structural break, with substantial heterogeneity across the distribution. Moreover, we construct counterfactual scenarios to investigate what outcomes low-performing economies could have attained had they adopted the characteristics, returns to factors, and unobservable capabilities of top performers. These scenarios unveil substantial untapped growth potential, with bottom-quartile economies potentially achieving average productivity growth improvements of up to 2.7 percentage points |
| Keywords: | structural transformation;quantile analysis;decomposition;counterfactual scenarios |
| JEL: | O11 O14 O25 |
| Date: | 2026–04–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:adbewp:022426 |
| By: | Vinod J. Kannankeril Joseph (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the association between thermal stress and child health outcomes in India by linking individual-level data from the National Family Health Survey (2019–21) with high-resolution climate reanalysis data. The study examines the effects of multiple thermal indicators, 2 m temperature, mean radiant temperature, and Universal Thermal Climate Index on stunting, wasting, underweight, and concurrent stunting and wasting among children under five. Logistic regression models adjusted for socioeconomic and maternal characteristics indicate that the likelihood of acute undernutrition (wasting and underweight) increases significantly with higher heat exposure, particularly among socioeconomically disadvantaged households, whereas stunting levels decrease. The analysis identifies heterogeneity by sex, residence, maternal education, and access to electricity. The findings underscore the role of heat stress as a determinant of acute child malnutrition, particularly in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Integrating climate information into public health and nutrition programs is critical to safeguarding child growth and resilience in a warming climate. |
| Keywords: | India, child nutrition, climate, health |
| JEL: | J1 Z0 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dem:wpaper:wp-2026-011 |
| By: | Elvis Korku Avenyo (South African Research Chair in Industrial Development, University of Johannesburg); Danilo Spinola (College of Accounting, Finance and Economics, Researcher at UNU-Merit.); Fiona Tregenna (South African Research Chair in Industrial Development, University of Johannesburg) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the firm-level effects of Chinese manufacturing import penetration on the performance of manufacturing firms in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries. We construct a dataset of 59 BRI member countries by combining firm-level data from the World Bank's Enterprise Survey with industry-level data from the United Nations Commodity Trade (Comtrade) database from 2011 to 2020. Employing a multi-level modelling approach, our findings reveal that Chinese manufacturing imports exert a considerable adverse effect on productivity growth and employment, and a robust and significant positive effect on the export capabilities of manufacturing firms. The adverse effects on performance are significantly moderated by firms that pursue innovation and engage in foreign licensing. These findings are significant in middle-income countries and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within BRI countries. Based on these findings, we argue that the importation of manufactured goods from China results in a crowding-out effect on the productive capacities of firms within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries on the one hand and a catalytic effect on the internationalisation of firms on the other hand. These dual outcomes may underscore China's global value chains (GVCs) position-seeking strategy. |
| Keywords: | Chinese manufacturing import penetration; Multi-level modelling; Firm-level effects; Belt and Road Initiative. |
| JEL: | F14 F15 F61 O14 P33 |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:adz:wpaper:2024-06 |
| By: | Marcello D’Amato (University of Naples Federico II and CSEF, University Suor Orsola Benincasa); Francesco Flaviano Russo (University of Naples Federico II and CSEF) |
| Abstract: | We explore whether and how the similarity of pre-existing cultural traits between ethnic groups in the former colonies and colonizers contributes to explain the legacies of colonization. We find higher levels of income per capita, and a lower probability of a “Reversal of Fortunes”, in the territories where the local population had more similar oral traditions to the colonizers and where the dispersion of this folklore similarity was smaller. Exploring the mechanisms, we find that more oral tradition similarity, and less dispersion, are associated with more similar (de iure) constitutions established at independence, a higher frequency of a direct colonial rule, more conversions to Christianity and better education. |
| Keywords: | Colonial Relationship; Culture; Orality; Folklore Narratives; Historical Development |
| JEL: | J15 Z10 |
| Date: | 2026–03–25 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sef:csefwp:774 |
| By: | Kulshreshtha, Shobhit; Bhattacharya, Leena; van Soest, Arthur |
| Abstract: | Rising temperatures due to climate change pose significant challenges to how much and how effectively individuals can work, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as India, where exposure to extreme heat is becoming more common. While existing research documents adverse effects of heat on labor outcomes, little is known about how individuals adjust their work patterns within a day. This study examines the impact of ambient temperature on time allocation, with a focus on intraday substitution of time spent on paid work. The study uses nationally representative data from the 2019 Indian Time Use Survey combined with high-frequency temperature data measured at 30-minute intervals. We estimate the effect of temperature on total daily time spent on paid work and on the likelihood of working during specific periods of the day. Our results show that extreme heat has limited effects on overall daily work hours but leads to substantial intraday reallocation of labor. Individuals shift work from the hottest periods midday toward early morning or late evening. This pattern is primarily driven by younger men and workers in self-employed or agricultural jobs, who have greater flexibility in their schedules and are more exposed to ambient heat. In contrast, salaried workers reduce work during peak heat without compensatory increases at other times. These findings highlight the importance of flexible work arrangements and targeted heat-mitigation policies to sustain productivity and worker well-being in a warming climate. |
| Keywords: | Climate change, time use, paid work, India |
| JEL: | J22 J24 Q54 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1738 |
| By: | Noé Viguié |
| Abstract: | This paper revisits the Natural Resource Curse (NRC) in the case of Critical Raw Materials (CRM), a strategic input for the energy transition. Using USGS production data for 1970–2019, we distinguish between dependence (CRM production as a share of GDP) and abundance (CRM production per capita). We argue that dependence is endogenous and a misleading proxy of resource endowment. Our cross-sectional model averaging shows no robust impact of CRM on growth, while primary export dependence has only a fragile, time-sensitive negative effect. Panel estimations for 44 countries, using advanced static and dynamic estimators, point to the same conclusion: weak and inconsistent results, with the apparent negative effect of CRM dependence largely driven by endogeneity. Overall, our findings reject the idea of a universal CRM curse. Instead, they highlight how measurement choices and endogeneity critically shape the NRC debate. While appropriate policies should address potential negative externalities and encourage diversification as well as the capture of greater value added along the CRM supply chain, our findings suggest that, to ensure long-term growth, traditional factors–such as human capital accumulation, infrastructure, andinstitutional quality and stability–should remain central. |
| Keywords: | natural resources curse; critical raw materials; natural resources abundance; natural resources dependence |
| JEL: | O13 Q32 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:drm:wpaper:2026-8 |
| By: | Ndip, Francis E.; Maina, Cecilia |
| Abstract: | Adoption of agricultural technologies is crucial for sustainable development, yet adoption of many relevant technologies remains low, especially among smallholder farmers in Africa. While there is an extensive literature aimed at understanding drivers of adoption, intra-household factors have received much less attention. In this study, we examine the relationship between spousal cooperation, an important intra-household factor, and the adoption of agricultural technologies among smallholder farmers in Cameroon. Specifically, we focus on improved seed varieties, inorganic fertilizers, intercropping, and minimum tillage as technologies. We combine survey and lab-in-the-field experimental data and employ multivariate probit models to account for simultaneous adoption. We also estimate associations between cooperation and the number of technologies adopted. The results suggest that spousal cooperation is positively associated with the adoption of improved varieties and intercropping. However, we find no associations between cooperation and adoption of inorganic fertilizers and minimum tillage, although the coefficients are positive. We also find that cooperation is positively associated with the number of technologies adopted. Lastly, we find interesting complementarities between the various technologies. Our findings suggest that promoting spousal cooperation could serve as an important leverage point for the adoption of modern agricultural technologies. |
| Keywords: | Community/Rural/Urban Development, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies |
| Date: | 2026–04–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:ubzefd:396426 |