SMU SOE Economics Lecture Series (Dec 3, 2021, 9.00am-10.30am): Family Issues in Development Economics

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Family Issues in Development Economics

This lecture will provide an overview of family economics -- decisions and outcomes within the family -- from a microeconomic perspective, focusing on low and middle-income countries. I will discuss decision-making power, resource allocation across family members, investments in children's human capital, the division of labor, marriage, and fertility, among other topics. The lecture will include a deep dive into the topic of gender gaps in resource allocation among family members in developing countries, including policy options to narrow these gaps. Across the topics, I will discuss recent empirical research on these topics, including randomized controlled trial, natural experiments, and lab experiments.

SEEMA JAYACHANDRAN

Professor of Economics

Northwestern University

Seema Jayachandran is a Professor of Economics at Northwestern University. Her research focuses on environmental conservation, gender equality, health, and other microeconomic topics in developing countries.

She serves on the board of directors of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and leads J-PAL's gender sector. She is also co-director of the National Bureau of Economic Research's program in Development Economics and co-editor of the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics. In addition, she serves on CARE's board of directors.

Prior to joining Northwestern, she was a faculty member at Stanford University. She earned a PhD in economics from Harvard University, a master’s degree in physics and philosophy from the University of Oxford where she was a Marshall Scholar, and a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from MIT.

Please view the profile here.