Intra-household decision-making and family public goods: survey and experimental evidence from South Africa

[摘要] English: Intra-household decisions are of importance in achieving various development goals,including investments in family public goods and the resultant developmental outcomes ofsuch investments, such as the attainment of education, improved health, and general familywell-being. The realisation of the development impacts of investments in family public goodsrequires a proper understanding of gender dynamics, economic empowerment, and intergenerationalcooperation in intra-household decision-making. This thesis aims to determinethe role of intra-household decision-making in family public goods investments in SouthAfrica. The study employs South African survey data and conducts a framed field experimentin two poor communities. Descriptive statistical analyses are employed to investigateassociations between key variables. In-depth analysis is conducted with the aid of regressionanalysis. The first key finding in this study calls specifically for gender-based economicempowerment policies. The study finds that gender inequality in economic bargaining powerwithin couples (heterogamy) and the broader adult population persists. Whereas womendominate the role of financial and economic decision-maker, they do so mainly as secondarydecision-makers; another sign of gender inequality. However, when women are empoweredeconomically, their decision-making power increases, and concomitantly, expenditure onfamily public goods. In fact, even when they are not economically empowered, expenditureon family public goods increases when females wield the decision-making power. Thesecond finding argues more broadly for economic development policies and posits thateconomically empowered men spend more on family public goods, and delegate economicdecision-making responsibility to their spouses, who in turn spend more on family publicgoods. In the third instance, the endowment size effect observed in this study is important forpolicy, given that the benefit of an economic opportunity for one family member of earning awage or receiving a social grant, cascades to other family members. The final finding is thatcommunication impacts positively on cooperation within extended inter-generationalfamilies, and that joint decision-making; which is associated with greater expenditure onfood; requires communication to facilitate cooperation. This result calls for preventative anddevelopmental social work programmes focusing on promoting communication withinfamilies, including training on parenting as well as marriage skills.

[发布机构] University of the Free State