Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/267353 
Year of Publication: 
2022
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 15616
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Using a national representative sample, the China Family Panel Studies, this paper explores the influences of clan culture, a hallmark of Chinese cultural history, on the prevalence of child labor in China. We find that clan culture significantly reduces the incidence of child labor and working hours of child laborer. The results exhibit strong boy bias, and are driven by boys rather than girls, which reflects the patrilineal nature of Chinese clan culture. Moreover, the impact is greater on boys from households with lower socioeconomic status, and in rural areas. Clan culture acts as a supplement to formal institutions: reduces the incidence of child labor through risk sharing and easing credit constraints, and helps form social norms to promote human capital investment. We also employ an instrument variable approach and carry out a series of robustness checks to further confirm the findings.
Subjects: 
informal institution
clan culture
child labor
China
JEL: 
J22
J81
O15
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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