Are Remittances an Effective Mechanism for Development? Evidence from Tajikistan, 1999-2007

Type Journal Article - Journal of Development Studies
Title Are Remittances an Effective Mechanism for Development? Evidence from Tajikistan, 1999-2007
Author(s)
Volume 48
Issue 8
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2012
Page numbers 1121-1138
URL http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00220388.2012.688816
Abstract
In many remittance-receiving countries, evidence linking remittances to household economic stability and investment is limited. Using three cross-sectional national surveys (1999, 2003, 2007) we compare remittance-receiving to non-remittance households in Tajikistan, a country highly dependent on remittances. Exploring household perceptions of financial security, wealth and entrepreneurial activity, across a period of rising remittance reliance, we find that households receiving remittances are not more economically stabile, wealthier, or entrepreneurial than non-remittance households. Findings highlight the importance of conceptualising remittances as a process influenced by the developmental contexts within receiving countries, and question previous assumptions concerning development pathways.

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