publications

Family, gender and social norms

family

2025 15/04/2026

A Stepping Stone Approach to Norm Transitions

by Selim Gulesci, Sam Jindani, Eliana La Ferrara, David Smerdon, Munshi Sulaiman and H. Peyton Young

American Economic Review (2025)

Selim Gulesci, Sam Jindani, Eliana La Ferrara, David Smerdon, Munshi Sulaiman and H. Peyton Young

Keywords: Health Behavior, Economics of Gender, Non-labor Discrimination, Economic Development: Human Resources, Human Development, Income Distribution, Migration, Formal and Informal Sectors, Shadow Economy, Institutional Arrangements, Economic Sociology, Economic Anthropology, Language, Social and Economic Stratification

family

2025 24/04/2026

Childcare, Labor Supply, and Business Development: Experimental Evidence from Uganda

by Kjetil Bjorvatn, Denise Ferris, Selim Gulesci, Arne Nasgowitz, Vincent Somville and Lore Vandewalle

American Economic Journal: Applied Economics (2025)

Kjetil Bjorvatn, Denise Ferris, Selim Gulesci, Arne Nasgowitz, Vincent Somville and Lore Vandewalle

Keywords: Cash transfers, Child development, Childcare, Entrepreneurship, Gender, Income, Labor Supply, Pre-school

family

2025 28/04/2026

There’s More to Marriage than Love: The Effect of Legal Status and Cultural Distance on Intermarriages and Separations

by Jérôme Adda, Paolo Pinotti and Giulia Tura

Journal of Political Economy (2025)

Jérôme Adda, Paolo Pinotti and Giulia Tura

Keywords: Intermarriages, Marital matching, Separations, Legal status, Cultural distance

family

2025 15/04/2026

Understanding Child Sex Trafficking by Use of Victim-Level Data

by Martina Björkman Nyqvist, Maria Kuecken, Eliana La Ferrara and Elsa Artadi

Economic Development and Cultural Change (2025)

Martina Björkman Nyqvist, Maria Kuecken, Eliana La Ferrara and Elsa Artadi

Keywords: Human trafficking, Prostitution, Philippines, Child labor

family

2024 27/04/2026

Age Set versus Kin: Culture and Financial Ties in East Africa

by Jacob Moscona and Awa Ambra Seck

American Economic Review (2024)

Jacob Moscona and Awa Ambra Seck

Keywords: Social structure, Age sets, Financial transfers, Pensions, Child health

family

2024 24/04/2026

Telenovelas and attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community in Latin America

by Selim Gulesci, María Lombardi and Alejandra Ramos

Labour Economics (2024)

Selim Gulesci, María Lombardi and Alejandra Ramos

Keywords: Discrimination, Attitudes, LGBTQ+, Media, Latin America, Caribbean

family

2024 24/04/2026

What We Can Learn When Impacts Fail to Replicate: Lessons From an Empowerment Programme for Young Women in Tanzania

by Niklas Buehren, Markus Goldstein, Selim Gulesci, Isabelle Salcher, Munshi Sulaiman and Venus Yam

The Journal of Development Studies (2024)

Niklas Buehren, Markus Goldstein, Selim Gulesci, Isabelle Salcher, Munshi Sulaiman and Venus Yam

Keywords: ELA, Adolescent girls' empowerment, Replication, Tanzania

family

2023 28/04/2026

Child marriage as informal insurance: Empirical evidence and policy simulations

by Lucia Corno and Alessandra Voena

Journal of Development Economics (2023)

Lucia Corno and Alessandra Voena

Keywords: Child marriage, Rainfall shocks, Bride price, Policies

family

2023 27/04/2026

Improving Parenting Practices for Early Child Development: Experimental Evidence from Rwanda

by Patricia Justino, Marinella Leone, Pierfrancesco Rolla, Monique Abimpaye, Caroline Dusabe, Marie D Uwamahoro and Richard Germond

Journal of the European Economic Association (2023)

Patricia Justino, Marinella Leone, Pierfrancesco Rolla, Monique Abimpaye, Caroline Dusabe, Marie D Uwamahoro and Richard Germond

Keywords: Child education, Child development, Parenting programme, Radio, Randomized controlled trial, Rwanda

family

2021 16/04/2026

Can youth empowerment programs reduce violence against girls during the COVID-19 pandemic?

by Selim Gulesci, Manuela Puente–Beccar and Diego Ubfal

Journal of Development Economics (2021)

Selim Gulesci, Manuela Puente–Beccar and Diego Ubfal

Keywords: Youth empowerment, Violence against girls, List experiment

family

2021 27/04/2026

Violence Against Women: A Cross-cultural Analysis for Africa

by Alberto Alesina, Benedetta Brioschi and Eliana La Ferrara

Economica (2021)

Alberto Alesina, Benedetta Brioschi and Eliana La Ferrara

family

2020 13/04/2026

From Extreme to Mainstream: The Erosion of Social Norms

by Leonardo Bursztyn, Georgy Egorov and Stefano Fiorin

American Economic Review (2020)

Leonardo Bursztyn, Georgy Egorov and Stefano Fiorin

Keywords: Social norms, social acceptability, elections, xenophobia, political attitudes, social interactions, communication

family

2020 15/04/2026

Weather shocks, Age of marriage and the Direction of marriage payments

by Lucia Corno, Nicole Hildebrandt and Alessandra Voena

Econometrica (2020)

Lucia Corno, Nicole Hildebrandt and Alessandra Voena

Keywords: Marriage market, Income shocks, Informal insurance, Africa, India, Dowry, Bride price, External validity

family

2020 24/04/2026

Women's Empowerment in Action: Evidence from a Randomized Control Trial in Africa

by Oriana Bandiera, Niklas Buehren, Robin Burgess, Markus Goldstein, Selim Gulesci, Imran Rasul and Munshi Sulaiman

American Economic Journal: Applied Economics (2020)

Oriana Bandiera, Niklas Buehren, Robin Burgess, Markus Goldstein, Selim Gulesci, Imran Rasul and Munshi Sulaiman

Keywords: Education and Economic Development, Fertility, Family Planning, Child Care, Children, Youth, Human Capital, Skills, Occupational Choice, Labor Productivity

family

2019 13/04/2026

Entertainment, Education and Attitudes Towards Domestic Violence

by Abhijit Banerjee, Eliana La Ferrara and Victor Orozco

AEA Papers and Proceedings (2019)

Abhijit Banerjee, Eliana La Ferrara and Victor Orozco

Keywords: Domestic violence, Television, Gender attitudes, Edutainment

family

2019 27/04/2026

Presidential Address: Aspirations, Social Norms, and Development

by Eliana La Ferrara

Journal of the European Economic Association (2019)

Eliana La Ferrara

Keywords: Education and inequality, Human resources, Human development, Income distribution, Migration

family

2017 27/04/2026

Customary Norms, Inheritance, and Human Capital: Evidence from a Reform of the Matrilineal System in Ghana

by Eliana La Ferrara and Annamaria Milazzo

American Economic Journal: Applied Economics (2017)

Eliana La Ferrara and Annamaria Milazzo

Keywords: Education, Ghana, Inheritance reform, Land rights

family

2016 27/04/2026

Mass Media and Social Change: Can We Use Television to Fight Poverty?

by Eliana La Ferrara

Journal of the European Economic Association (2016)

Eliana La Ferrara

Keywords: Edutainment, Soap operas, Television