Moving to despair? Migration and well-being in Pakistan
Internal migration has the potential to substantially increase incomes, especially for the poor in developing countries, and yet migration rates remain low. We evaluate the impact of internal migration on both objective and subjective measures of well-being using a unique longitudinal study in rural...
| Autores principales: | , , |
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| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
Elsevier
2019
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/145451 |
| _version_ | 1855537554259968000 |
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| author | Chen, Joyce J. Kosec, Katrina Mueller, Valerie |
| author_browse | Chen, Joyce J. Kosec, Katrina Mueller, Valerie |
| author_facet | Chen, Joyce J. Kosec, Katrina Mueller, Valerie |
| author_sort | Chen, Joyce J. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Internal migration has the potential to substantially increase incomes, especially for the poor in developing countries, and yet migration rates remain low. We evaluate the impact of internal migration on both objective and subjective measures of well-being using a unique longitudinal study in rural Pakistan spanning 1991–2013. We account for selection using covariate matching. Migrants have roughly 35–40 percent higher consumption, yet are less likely to report being happy, calm and/or in excellent health, and more likely to report having been sick recently. Our results suggest that deteriorating physical health coupled with feelings of stress and relative deprivation underlie the disparity between objective and subjective well-being. Thus, despite substantial monetary gains from migration, people may be happier and less mentally distressed by remaining at home. If traditional market mechanisms cannot reduce psychic costs, it may be more constructive to address regional inequality by shifting production – rather than workers – across space. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace145451 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publishDateRange | 2019 |
| publishDateSort | 2019 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| publisherStr | Elsevier |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1454512025-02-24T06:45:51Z Moving to despair? Migration and well-being in Pakistan Chen, Joyce J. Kosec, Katrina Mueller, Valerie income resettlement mental health consumption capacity development econometrics migration foreign workers Internal migration has the potential to substantially increase incomes, especially for the poor in developing countries, and yet migration rates remain low. We evaluate the impact of internal migration on both objective and subjective measures of well-being using a unique longitudinal study in rural Pakistan spanning 1991–2013. We account for selection using covariate matching. Migrants have roughly 35–40 percent higher consumption, yet are less likely to report being happy, calm and/or in excellent health, and more likely to report having been sick recently. Our results suggest that deteriorating physical health coupled with feelings of stress and relative deprivation underlie the disparity between objective and subjective well-being. Thus, despite substantial monetary gains from migration, people may be happier and less mentally distressed by remaining at home. If traditional market mechanisms cannot reduce psychic costs, it may be more constructive to address regional inequality by shifting production – rather than workers – across space. 2019-01 2024-06-21T09:04:31Z 2024-06-21T09:04:31Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/145451 en https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148372 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2013.10.013 Open Access Elsevier Chen, Joyce; Kosec, Katrina; and Mueller, Valerie. 2019. Moving to despair? Migration and well-being in Pakistan. World Development 113(January 2019): 186-203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2018.09.007 |
| spellingShingle | income resettlement mental health consumption capacity development econometrics migration foreign workers Chen, Joyce J. Kosec, Katrina Mueller, Valerie Moving to despair? Migration and well-being in Pakistan |
| title | Moving to despair? Migration and well-being in Pakistan |
| title_full | Moving to despair? Migration and well-being in Pakistan |
| title_fullStr | Moving to despair? Migration and well-being in Pakistan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Moving to despair? Migration and well-being in Pakistan |
| title_short | Moving to despair? Migration and well-being in Pakistan |
| title_sort | moving to despair migration and well being in pakistan |
| topic | income resettlement mental health consumption capacity development econometrics migration foreign workers |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/145451 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chenjoycej movingtodespairmigrationandwellbeinginpakistan AT koseckatrina movingtodespairmigrationandwellbeinginpakistan AT muellervalerie movingtodespairmigrationandwellbeinginpakistan |