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  4. October 2012
  5. Soap Operas and Fertility: Evidence from Brazil

Soap Operas and Fertility: Evidence from Brazil

  • Eliana La Ferrara
  • Alberto Chong
  • Suzanne Duryea
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
vol. 4, no. 4, October 2012
(pp. 1-31)
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Abstract

We estimate the effect of television on fertility in Brazil, where soap operas portray small families. We exploit differences in the timing of entry into different markets of Globo, the main novela producer. Women living in areas covered by Globo have significantly lower fertility. The effect is strongest for women of lower socioeconomic status and in the central and late phases of fertility, consistent with stopping behavior. The result does not appear to be driven by selection in Globo entry. We provide evidence that novelas, and not just television, affected individual choices, based on children's naming patterns and novela content. (JEL J13, J16, L82, O15, Z13)

Citation

La Ferrara, Eliana, Alberto Chong, and Suzanne Duryea. 2012. "Soap Operas and Fertility: Evidence from Brazil." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 4 (4): 1-31. DOI: 10.1257/app.4.4.1

Additional Materials

JEL Classification

  • J13 Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
  • J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
  • L82 Entertainment; Media
  • O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
  • Z13 Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Social and Economic Stratification
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