Template-type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Addabbo Tindara
Author-Email: tindara.addabbo@unimore.it
Author-Name: Di Tommao Maria Laura
Author-Email: marialaura.ditommaso@unito.it
Author-Homepage: http://www.est.unito.it/do/docenti.pl/Show?_id=mditomma;sort=U2;search=;hits=141
Author-Name: Maccagnan Anna
Author-Email: anna.maccagnan@unimore.it
Author-Workplace-Name: University of Turin
Author-Workplace-Homepage: http://www.est.unito.it/
Title: Gender differences in Italian children’s capabilities
Abstract: Child well-being is analysed in this paper using the capability approach with a special focus
on gender differences. The capabilities analysed are senses imagination and thought and play.
These are crucial dimensions in the definition of child well-being and the country analysed
performs particularly badly, with regards other industrialized countries. We estimate a Structural
Equation Model (SEM) where the two capabilities are defined as latent variables which are
intrinsically interrelated. For each of these capabilities, a set of indicators of functionings is utilised.
The model is applied to Italian data for 2008.
The results imply strong gender differences among Italian children. In particular, highly
educated parents invest more in girls' capability of senses imagination and thought than in the boys'
capability. On the other hand highly educated parents invest more on their children's play activities
the effect being similar for boys and girls. Assuming parents education as a proxy for family
income, this confirms the well-known result of higher income elasticities for girls' education
(measured here with the capability of senses imagination and thought) with respect to boys
education
Length: 34 pages
Creation-Date: 2011-10
File-URL: http://www.est.unito.it/do/home.pl/Download?doc=/allegati/wp2011dip/8_wp_addabbo_ditommaso_maccagna.pdf
File-Format: Application/PDF
Handle: RePEc:uto:dipeco:201108