Publication:
Belief Systems and Durable Inequalities: An Experimental Investigation of Indian Caste

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorHoff, Karla
dc.contributor.authorPandey, Priyanka
dc.date.accessioned2013-06-20T17:16:21Z
dc.date.available2013-06-20T17:16:21Z
dc.date.issued2004-06
dc.description.abstractIf discrimination against an historically oppressed social group is dismantled, will the group forge ahead? The authors present experimental evidence that a history of social and legal disabilities may have persistent effects on a group's earnings through its impact on individuals' expectations. In the first experiment, 321 high-caste and 321 low-caste junior high school male student volunteers in rural India performed the task of solving mazes under economic incentives. There were no caste differences in performance when caste was not publicly revealed, but making caste salient created a large and robust caste gap. When a nonhuman factor influencing rewards (a random draw) was introduced, the caste gap disappeared. To test whether the low caste's anticipation of prejudicial treatment caused the caste gap, the authors conducted a second experiment that manipulated the scope for discretion in rewarding performance. When the link between performance and payoffs was purely mechanical, making caste salient did not affect behavior. Instead, it was in the case where there was scope for discretion and judgment in rewarding performance that making caste salient had an effect. The results suggest that when caste identity is salient, low-caste subjects expect that others will judge them prejudicially. Mistrust undermines motivation. The experimental design enables the authors to exclude as explanations of the caste gap in performance socioeconomic differences and a lack of self-confidence by low-caste participants.en
dc.identifierhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2004/06/4963583/belief-systems-durable-inequalities-experimental-investigation-indian-caste
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-3351
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10986/14063
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherWorld Bank, Washington, D.C.
dc.relation.ispartofseriesPolicy Research Working Paper;No.3351
dc.rightsCC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderWorld Bank
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/
dc.subjectANATOMY
dc.subjectARGUMENTS
dc.subjectATTENTION
dc.subjectBELIEF SYSTEMS
dc.subjectBELIEFS
dc.subjectCAREERS
dc.subjectCASTES
dc.subjectCOLONIALISM
dc.subjectDISABILITIES
dc.subjectDISCRIMINATION
dc.subjectEDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE
dc.subjectEMPOWERMENT
dc.subjectENROLLMENT
dc.subjectIDENTITY
dc.subjectLAWS
dc.subjectLEARNING
dc.subjectLEARNING EFFECT
dc.subjectLITERACY
dc.subjectMOTIVATION
dc.subjectPARENTS
dc.subjectPARTNERSHIP
dc.subjectPLAYING
dc.subjectPOLLUTION
dc.subjectPOSTER
dc.subjectPOWER
dc.subjectPRIMARY SCHOOL
dc.subjectPRIMARY SCHOOLING
dc.subjectPSYCHOLOGY
dc.subjectRURAL CHILDREN
dc.subjectSCHOOLS
dc.subjectSLAVERY
dc.subjectSOCIAL CLASSES
dc.subjectSOCIAL GROUPS
dc.subjectSOCIAL INEQUALITY
dc.subjectWAGES
dc.subjectWASTE ABILITY
dc.subjectACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
dc.subjectACHIEVEMENT TESTS
dc.subjectBELIEF SYSTEMS
dc.subjectBELIEFS
dc.subjectCOMPETENCE
dc.subjectDISCRIMINATION
dc.subjectEDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE
dc.subjectIDENTITY
dc.subjectPERCEPTION
dc.subjectPRIMARY SCHOOL
dc.subjectRURAL CHILDREN
dc.subjectSOCIAL GROUPS
dc.subjectSOCIAL STATUS
dc.subjectCASTE DISCRIMINATION
dc.subjectCASTES
dc.subjectSOCIAL STRATIFICATION
dc.titleBelief Systems and Durable Inequalities: An Experimental Investigation of Indian Casteen
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.crosscuttingsolutionareaGender
okr.crossref.titleBelief Systems and Durable Inequalities: An Experimental Investigation of Indian Caste
okr.date.doiregistration2025-04-10T09:29:55.556031Z
okr.doctypePublications & Research::Policy Research Working Paper
okr.doctypePublications & Research
okr.docurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2004/06/4963583/belief-systems-durable-inequalities-experimental-investigation-indian-caste
okr.globalpracticeSocial, Urban, Rural and Resilience
okr.globalpracticeEducation
okr.globalpracticeGovernance
okr.globalpracticeHealth, Nutrition, and Population
okr.guid497321468750550612
okr.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-3351
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum000112742_20040722150100
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum4963583
okr.identifier.reportWPS3351
okr.language.supporteden
okr.pdfurlhttp://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2004/07/22/000112742_20040722150100/Rendered/PDF/wps3351.pdfen
okr.region.administrativeSouth Asia
okr.region.countryIndia
okr.topicEducation::Primary Education
okr.topicHealth Monitoring and Evaluation
okr.topicEducation::Educational Sciences
okr.topicGovernance::Youth and Governance
okr.topicHealth, Nutrition and Population::Public Health Promotion
okr.topicGender::Gender and Social Development
okr.unitOff of Sr VP Dev Econ/Chief Econ (DECVP)
okr.volume1 of 1
relation.isSeriesOfPublication26e071dc-b0bf-409c-b982-df2970295c87
relation.isSeriesOfPublication.latestForDiscovery26e071dc-b0bf-409c-b982-df2970295c87
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Thumbnail Image
Name:
wps3351.pdf
Size:
629.7 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
wps3351.txt
Size:
143.63 KB
Format:
Plain Text
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Plain Text
Description:
Download
Collections
Policy Research Working Papers