Children’s Labor Force Participation in the World System

Abstract

In developing countries today children play significant economic roles. Field studies show that children in many developing countries are economically active in both rural and urban settings. This cross-national study investigates the economic roles of children in contemporary developing and developed countries. Dependency theory guides hypotheses that a less developed country’s dependence on the more developed core countries (measured by multinational corporation penetration and commodity concentration) serves to create a labor market within the less developed country where children are economically active. Additional hypotheses regarding the influence of female labor force participation on increased child labor and urban growth on increased child labor are also tested. Regression analyses, based on demographic data from 70 developed and developing countries, reveal that dependency variables (multi-national corporation penetration and commodity concentration) are not positively related to children’s labor force participation. Urban growth and female labor force participation however, are positively related to children’s labor force participation. These results suggest an important link between women’s roles and the roles of children and the influence of urbanization on children. The utility of dependency theory to the understanding of children’s labor force activity is also challenged.