This thesis examines how family background, measured as parents education,
and household access to amenities affects children’s school enrolment, and how
parents education affects earnings. I also examine how education and family
background affects performance of unregistered urban businesses.
In the first empirical study, rural educated parents’ effects on biological
children’s enrolment were stronger, with educated fathers’ effects positive for boys
and girls. Educated mothers helped boys, perhaps indicating more “traditional” values
among women. Urban educated parents’ effects were weaker, which is plausible, given
the weaker influence of “traditional” values. For non-biological urban children,
educated mothers effect were adverse, suggesting that children fulfil a servant-type
role to facilitate the educated mother’s market work. Poor access to amenities reduces
enrolment.
In the second empirical study, while family background was important for
education, there were also direct effects of family background on earnings given
education for urban individuals, implying that “connections” and nepotism may be
important.
The final study shows that education is important for performance of
unregistered businesses without workers. Among firms with workers, education is
insignificant, a result admittedly difficult to explain. Parental business ownership
assists performance, an implication that parental business owners can effectively train
children to business ownership.