Two-sided Altruism and Level of Development

Manachaya Uruyos ; Siwapong Dheera-aumpon

Manachaya Uruyos, Corresponding Author, Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand, Tel: +66-2-218-6180, Fax: +66-2-218-6201 manachaya.u@chula.ac.th
Siwapong Dheera-aumpon, Faculty of Economics, Kasetsart University, Ngam Wong Wan Road, Bangkok 10900, Thailand, Tel: +66-2-561-3474, Fax: +66-2-579-8739 fecospd@ku.ac.th

JEL Classification: D64, I28, J14, O10

Abstract

Using 24 countries’ data on the estimated degrees of filial and parental altruism, we examine the relationship between the stages of economic development and degrees of altruism. We employ the ordinary least squares and two-stage least squares methods and generalized method of moments. We find that after controlling for macroeconomic, demographic, and institutional variables, developing countries are more filially altruistic than developed ones, whereas the latter are more parentally altruistic than the former.

Keywords:

Altruism, Development, Demography, Public education

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the anonymous referees for thoughtful comments and to Narathorn Munsuvarn for his excellent research assistance. This research was funded by the Ratchadapisek Sompoch Endowment Fund (2015), Chulalongkorn University (CU-58-073-AS).

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