Shaping Household Research Articles

Urban housing prices and consumption structure upgrading: Different relationships in urban and rural China

The dynamics of housing prices can play a pivotal role in shaping household behavior. Motivated by the limited research on the impact of housing prices on consumption structure upgrading in China, this paper presents a series of analyses that deploy panel data from 276 Chinese cities between 2005 and 2019 to scrutinize this impact. Firstly, fixed effect models were used to investigate the relationship between urban housing price and the consumption structure upgrading, and it was found that urban housing price has an inverted U-shaped effect on the consumption structure upgrading of Chinese urban residents, while it has an inhibitory effect on the consumption structure upgrading of Chinese rural residents. Then, we conducted multiple robustness tests, all of which corroborated the benchmark results’ reliability. Finally, deeper than existing research, the mechanism of the impact of urban housing prices on the consumption structure upgrading was further explored and it was found that increasing urban housing prices can affect consumption structure upgrading by affecting residents’ marginal propensity to consume in development and enjoyment. Our findings provide key alternatives for China’s government to promote residents’ consumption structure upgrading.

Household Economy and its Relation to Household Head and Women: A Study Among the Tangkhuls in Kangpokpi District, Manipur

The household economy is the collective sociocultural of managing resources and economic activities within households or families. A household economy is a fundamental unit of analysis in anthropological studies of economic systems, as it provides insights into how people manage their livelihoods within different cultural contexts. The present study attempted to investigate the relationship between household income and the role of household heads and women in income generation in the context of the Tangkhul of Kangpokpi District, Manipur. Using a mixed methods approach, including surveys, interviews and focus group discussions, the study examines the economic practices of households engaged in shifting cultivation and how household heads and women contribute to income generation. The finding reveals the significant contribution of women to household economic activities and the interplay between gender roles and household heads in the Tangkhul community. The Tangkhul is a patriarchal society, although women enjoy substantial freedom and play an important role in family and community life. The study highlights the need for a more detailed understanding of economic practices and the role of gender in shaping household income in rural communities. The insight gained from this research can inform policies and interventions aimed at livelihood and reducing poverty in rural areas.

Has the Development of Broadband Infrastructure Improved Household Energy Consumption in Rural China?

Digital infrastructure plays a crucial role in shaping household energy consumption behaviors, especially in the context of achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals in China. In this study, we explored the impact of broadband infrastructure on household energy consumption and clean fuel choices, using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). In a difference-in-differences (DID) framework, our findings indicate that the promotion of broadband infrastructure significantly increases rural household energy consumption and facilitates a transition to cleaner energy sources. Notably, households with better socioeconomic status, particularly those with higher education and income levels, benefit more from enhanced broadband internet access. Mechanism analysis reveals that the “Broadband China” policy can positively influence household consumption through several potential channels: fostering technological innovation, enhancing energy efficiency in cities, and improving overall environmental awareness. These findings contribute to our understanding of the role of broadband infrastructure in shaping household energy consumption patterns and have important implications for policymakers, particularly in the context of sustainable development and energy transition efforts.

Human capital and poverty eradication among parents in Uganda: A review

This review delves into the intricate relationship between the development of human capital and the eradication of poverty among parents. Human capital, encompassing education, skills, and health, is pivotal in shaping household income, economic stability, and overall well-being. By thoroughly analyzing empirical studies and theoretical frameworks, this paper elucidates how investing in parental human capital can serve as a potent strategy for alleviating poverty. The review underscores the multifaceted benefits of enhancing parental education and skills acquisition, including increased employment opportunities, improved health outcomes, and heightened social mobility. Furthermore, the study underscores the importance of policy interventions, educational programs, and health initiatives designed to bolster human capital among parents, thereby fostering sustainable development and poverty reduction on both individual and societal levels.

Financial Advice and Household Financial Portfolios*

We explore the demand for financial advice and the role of such advice in shaping household financial portfolios. Since taking financial advice may not be randomly allocated among households, understanding the drivers behind receiving financial advice is important before exploring the role of financial advice in shaping the composition of household portfolios. A number of specification tests are undertaken, including exploring the sensitivity of the results to selection as well matching estimation techniques. The analysis reveals that financial advice is inversely (positively) associated with the share of wealth held in real estate (bonds and stocks).

The impact of inclusive finance on household carbon emissions—evidence from China

ABSTRACT Access to financial services plays a crucial role in shaping household consumption patterns and carbon emissions. The advancement of inclusive finance in China, known for stimulating consumption, prompted an examination of its impact on household carbon emissions. Our study reveals that inclusive finance substantially lowers Chinese household carbon emissions by enhancing green awareness and reducing income inequality. Notably, the effects of inclusive finance are more significant in rural regions and among households with younger heads. Therefore, fostering inclusive finance is essential for harmonizing financial equity with environmental sustainability.

Payment Habits and Instant Payment Systems in the V4 Countries

The study examines payment habits and instant payment systems in the Visegrád Four (V4) countries using a comparative analysis of secondary data. The authors identify the factors that influence household payment habits and the operational parameters of the instant payment systems in the V4. Based on the information thus identified, the similarities and differences between these countries and the reasons behind such are explored. Both quantitative and qualitative data are examined for the purposes of the summative evaluation, which concludes that the main reasons for cash payments are the lack of electronic payment options in certain payment situations, as well as the power of personal preferences and habits. Below a certain limit, the transfer is automatically instant in Hungary and does not entail any extra costs, while in the other three countries, instant transfer is optional and subject to a surcharge. Financial institutions and regulators play a key role in shaping household payment habits and enhancing instant payment systems.

Waste Management through Waste Segregation: Survey Analysis of a North Delhi Locality

Waste generation and its management is a critical crosscutting concern given its impact on health, climate change, poverty reduction, food and resource security, sustainable production and consumption, environment and the concomitant economic costs associated with it. This comprehensive study using data from 708 households of a North Delhi locality examines factors that influence household behaviours related to waste segregation through a multifaceted analysis employing crosstabulation analysis and logistic regression analysis. The research explores factors influencing awareness and adoption of waste segregation practices, providing nuanced insights for effective policy formulation. Key findings highlight the intricate relationships among demographic characteristics, education, awareness, and economic factors in shaping household waste management practices. The analysis of determinants reveals the impact of household size, education levels, and the presence of senior citizens and working members on awareness about waste segregation. Additionally, infrastructure elements, such as the availability of coloured dustbins and waste disposal methods, significantly influence awareness. Waste segregation adoption patterns exhibit diverse influences, with larger households and higher self-reported awareness positively affecting practices. Policy implications derived from the analysis emphasise targeted educational programmes, income-related strategies, and tailored outreach for specific demographic groups. In conclusion, the study underscores the need for a comprehensive, multifaceted approach that considers demographic, educational, and economic factors in waste management policies. The findings contribute to fostering a culture of responsible waste management, offering practical insights for policymakers and communities striving towards environmental sustainability.

Does farming culture shape household financial decisions?

Historical rice cultivation practices have shaped cultural norms that significantly affect households' risk-taking behavior today. Using national survey data from over 90,000 Chinese households and a quasi-experimental design, we find that these culturally induced behaviors, in turn, contribute to significant economic differences at a large scale. Our tests show that households in regions with a higher historical rate of rice cultivation are more likely to invest in the financial market and buy lottery tickets, but less likely to buy insurance. The underlying mechanism is that collectivist rice agricultural practices increase trust, social capital, and social connections, and even allow for societal members to borrow without interest. Additional tests show that our findings are not driven by regional economic growth, government-provided social safety nets, Confucian values, or ethnic diversity. These deep-rooted, ancient practices have important policy implications for leaders in collectivist cultures trying to rectify behavioral biases in household financial decisions.

Decoding the shift: Assessing household energy transition and unravelling the reasons for resistance or adoption of solar photovoltaic

The transition to a sustainable economy with technological innovations has gained momentum in emerging economies. Among these innovations, household-based solar systems have emerged as one of the rapidly expanding sources of low-carbon power globally, possessing the potential to become the largest renewable energy source by mid-century. However, there is still a need to investigate the transition process of solar PV systems, considering the components affecting the acceptability or resistance of solar PV systems among households, particularly in Ghana. To address this, the current research employed thematic analysis through semi-structured questions with 22 heads of households, including both solar photovoltaic adopters and non-adopters. The interviews were designed to elicit attitudes, values, and reasons shaping households' motivations to embrace or resist solar PV systems. The results indicate that household values and attitudes in addition to context-specific variables such as cost implications, performance expectancy, technological complexity, and market design are major reasons against solar PV adoption whereas energy independence, cost saving, peer effects, and environmental concerns are pivotal reasons for solar PV adoption among the Ghanaian households. This study offers a comprehensive assessment of various factors that impact household behavior in Ghana's energy sector toward solar PV adoption. It provides valuable insights that can fuel the switch to sources of clean energy and inspire change in both developed and emerging economies, contributing to global efforts to combat climate change. These findings offer novel perspectives to energy stakeholders, managers, policymakers, governments, and experts about household behaviors toward adopting solar PV systems.

Digital skills and household financial asset allocation

This research explores the impact of digital skills on household financial asset allocation using data from China Family Panel Studies spanning 2014 to 2020. The findings demonstrate that digital skills contribute to improved allocation of risky assets. They influence financial market participation by enhancing information acquisition and shaping risk attitudes. Moreover, variations emerge in the effect of digital skills based on urban and rural distinctions and wealth disparities. This study sheds light on the dynamic role of digital skills in shaping household financial behaviors and offers insights into reducing wealth inequality.

How social norms and values shape household healthcare expenditures and resource allocation: Insights from India

We present a novel perspective on thinking about and studying healthcare spending in contexts where few health-related financial risk protection mechanisms exist and where out-of-pocket spending by households is the norm. Drawing on interviews conducted across 20 villages in two states of India, we illustrate and problematize how a complex interplay of social norms and cultural factors underpin spending decisions within households in such contexts. While our analysis draws on the fieldwork at large, we present our findings through selected narratives - stories of patients suffering from chronic breathlessness. We engage with and reveal the various ways in which social norms dynamically drive this household economy, and shape resource allocation-related decisions. We conclude that in health system contexts where out-of-pocket spending by households is the norm, it is essential to recognise the pragmatic and calculative nature of intra-household allocation of resources, and how it involves bargaining and negotiations at the intersection of social norms, economic class, caste, gender, age, and productive status. And at the same time, how all of this occurs within the economy of the family, and how it plays out differently for different members of a family is also important to recognise. Such recognition can not only help one better appreciate how this household level economy may sometimes maintain and perpetuate entrenched hierarchies and gender inequities, crucially, it can help target health related social protection policies and strategies and make them more responsive to the needs of the most vulnerable in the society and within households.

The state of women’s empowerment in fisheries in rural Bicol, the Philippines

ABSTRACT This study examined the state of women’s empowerment in fishing communities in the Bicol Region, the Philippines. Using the Alkire-Foster (AF) methodology, the results revealed that the ability to participate in making decisions related to productive resources (e.g. boat, fishing gear, fish processing equipment) and having access to and control over such resources were the key factors that contribute to women’s disempowerment in the study area. Furthermore, women were found to be in a less favourable position due to lower levels of formal education, large household size, limited sources for livelihood diversification, patriarchal norms shaping household headship, and meagre share in household income. On a positive note, control over household income and leadership in the community emerged as sources of women’s empowerment. Drawing on these findings, efforts to empower women should focus on providing them more access to formal and informal education, social infrastructure, microfinance services, and labour-saving technologies.

Portfolio allocation and borrowing constraints

Using the US Survey of Consumer Finances, we explore the empirical relationship between borrowing constraints and financial portfolio allocation by American households. To help motivate our empirical analysis we initially draw insights from a mean-variance model of optimal portfolio allocation with three tradable asset classes defined by increasing risk, and establish a link between borrowing restrictions and portfolio allocation in the presence of background risk. Our main contribution, however, lies in estimating the role that borrowing constraints play in shaping households' financial portfolio allocation. This is achieved using an ordered fractional probit model. In addition to revealing the significant empirical role played by household borrowing constraints in determining portfolio allocation, our analysis helps us to resolve ambiguity surrounding the behaviour of the medium-risk asset in our motivational theoretical framework. Further, the empirical distribution of medium-risk assets is found to be remarkably similar to that for high-risk assets, suggesting the presence of a more general ‘risk puzzle’, which our borrowing constraints measures partially explain.

Do social assistance programs promote the use of clean cooking fuels? Evidence from China's new rural pension scheme

Government social assistance programs play a vital role in shaping household behaviors, from food purchases to human capital investments. Yet, little attention has been given to understanding the impacts of these programs on household energy choices. Drawing upon data from China's New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS) – a cash transfer plan targeting rural seniors aged 60 and above – this study aims to shed light on how such a program affects the cooking fuel choices among beneficiaries. The results show that: (1) the NRPS promotes a shift from traditional biomass fuels to cleaner fuels, primarily driven by reduced firewood adoption and increased electricity usage; (2) the effects are stronger for lower-income households and the older age group (aged 70 and above); (3) enhancing household income and discouraging farm work participation are possible mechanisms through which pension coverage influences fuel choices. Overall, these findings highlight the effectiveness of social assistance programs in improving resident well-being and facilitating energy transitions in rural areas.

Understanding the mediating role of labor out-migration in household income generation and distribution under a reforestation policy in rural China

Income inequality is a critical issue of socio-economic development, particularly in rural areas where forest-dependent people are often vulnerable to the intervention of forest policies. This paper aims to elucidate income distribution and inequality of rural households influenced by China's largest reforestation policy implemented in early 2000s. Drawing on socioeconomic and demographic data from household surveys in two rural sites, we applied the Gini coefficient to measure income inequality and used a regression-based approach to examine the underlying factors that are associated with income generation among households. We also performed a mediation analysis to test the role of labor out-migration in shaping household income distribution under the reforestation policy. Results show that remittances sent by rural out-migrants substantially contribute to household income but tend to worsen inequality, particularly for households having retired cropland for reforestation. The inequality in total income depends on capital accumulation for land endowment and labor availability that render diversified livelihoods possible. Such linkage reveals regional disparity, which, along with policy-implementing institutions (e.g., rules for tree species choice for reforestation), can influence income generation from a given source (e.g., agriculture). Rural out-migration of female labor significantly mediates the economic benefits of the policy delivered to the households with an estimated mediating share of 11.7%. These findings add value to the knowledge of poverty-environment interrelationships in a sense that supporting rural livelihoods of the more vulnerable and underrepresented groups is essential for securing and sustaining the stewardship of forests. Policymaking for such forest restoration programs needs to integrate strategies for targeted or precise poverty alleviation to strengthen the conservation effectiveness.

How Homeownership, Race, and Social Connections Influence Flood Preparedness Measures: Evidence from 2 Small U.S. Cities

ABSTRACT Climate change and changing built environments are changing flooding regimes. Since flood management policies often rely on household preparedness, understanding what factors shape household flood preparedness measures is imperative. We focus on three dimensions: race, participation in local organizations, and homeownership as moderated by flood experience. With survey data from two small riverside cities in the northeastern United States, we examine how these factors affect the adoption of low-cost and high-cost flood protection measures. We find that effects of flood experience vary across renters, mortgage-holding homeowners, and homeowners without mortgages, and patterns differ for low-cost and high-cost measures. In regression models that control for other factors, white residents take more low-cost measures than nonwhite residents. Among households in locations with greater flood risk, nonwhite households take more high-cost flood protection measures. Community group participation has a positive effect on low-cost protective measures, and the effect is more pronounced among floodplain residents. Processes related to both race and homeownership shape people’s access to flood preparedness measures. Understanding patterns of household flood protection may help in identifying leverage points for ameliorating disparities in flood vulnerability across communities.

Immigration and Intergenerational Co-Residency Among Working-Aged Adults in the United Kingdom.

Studies in the United Kingdom have shown distinctions in intergenerational co-residency between UK-born and foreign-born individuals, however, little research has examined how factors such as immigrant incorporation, economic adaptation, and kin availability shape household formation patterns among immigrants. This paper uses data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (2009-2010) to explore differences in the likelihood of UK-born and foreign-born working-aged adults to co-reside with at least one parent, highlighting distinctions by life stage (age) at migration and gender. Results show that, regardless of life stage at migration, foreign-born women and men are less likely to co-reside with parents than UK-born, however, intergenerational co-residency is high among some second-generation immigrant groups, particularly UK-born Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi individuals. These findings challenge cultural assumptions about household formation patterns and point to the need for additional research on how economic inequality, kin availability, and gender norms shape immigrant household composition.

Does Farming Culture Shape Household Financial Decisions?

Does Farming Culture Shape Household Financial Decisions?

How Much Indian Households Spend in Higher Education? Tobit Analysis using National Sample Survey Data

Higher education in India is undergoing massive expansion, with enrolment figures touching 38.5 million and Gross Enrolment Ratio attaining 27.1%. However, this expansion is brought about by extensive privatisation, catering around 70% of students enrolled in the sector. This shift also marks a departure in perceiving higher education as a public good – impacting its sources of funding – disproportionately straining the pockets of households. Drawing on National Sample Survey data (2017-18), the present study examines the pattern and quantum of household expenditure and estimates key determinants of household expenditure in higher education. Employing Tobit model the study brings out the interplay of gender, caste and class in shaping households’ decision to allocate resources in higher education.