The Power of TV: Cable Television and Women's Status in India

Abstract

Cable and satellite television have grown rapidly throughout the developing world. The availability of cable and satellite television exposes viewers to new information about the outside world, which may affect individual attitudes and behaviors. This paper explores the effect of the introduction of cable television on gender attitudes in rural India. Using a three-year individual-level panel dataset, we find that the introduction of cable television is associated with improvements in women's status. We find significant increases in reported autonomy, decreases in the reported acceptability of beating and decreases in reported son preference. We also find increases in female school enrollment and decreases in fertility (primarily via increased birth spacing). The effects are large, equivalent in some cases to about five years of education in the cross section, and move gender attitudes of individuals in rural areas much closer to those in urban areas. We argue that the results are not driven by pre-existing differential trends. These results have important policy implications, as India and other countries attempt to decrease bias against women. Abstract Cable and satellite television have grown rapidly throughout the developing world. The availability of cable and satellite television exposes viewers to new information about the outside world, which may affect individual attitudes and behaviors. This paper explores the effect of the introduction of cable television on gender attitudes in rural India. Using a three-year individual-level panel dataset, we find that the introduction of cable television is associated with improvements in women's status. We find significant increases in reported autonomy, decreases in the reported acceptability of beating and decreases in reported son preference. We also find increases in female school enrollment and decreases in fertility (primarily via increased birth spacing). The effects are large, equivalent in some cases to about five years of education in the cross section, and move gender attitudes of individuals in rural areas much closer to those in urban areas. We argue that the results are not driven by pre-existing differential trends. These results have important policy implications, as India and other countries attempt to decrease bias against women.

One-person households in India

“…This, along with the trend of young people moving to urban areas in search of new opportunities, is reshaping living arrangements (Taylor and Bain 2005). Other changes such as proliferation of mass media (such as cable TV) has exposed wider society to "different possible lives", in Appadurai's (1996) words, and have affected people's attitudes and behaviours (Jensen and Oster 2009). These changes in attitudes and behaviours include those related to family and living arrangements.…”

Globalization and the Transmission of Social Values: The Case of Tolerance

“…Heineck and Riphahn (2007), Jaspers (2008: 29), Jensen andOster (2009: 1060) and Congdon Fors (2012: 7). 16 For example, the power of television in affecting social norms is demonstrated by Jensen and Oster (2009) in the case of the status of women in India, by Chong and La Ferrara (2009) in the case of divorce in Brazil and by La Ferrara et al (2012) in the case of fertility in Brazil. the influence could come both through internalization (for imperialistic parents) and through a realization that it is better to adapt to a situation where one can benefit from interaction with others (for both imperialistic and altruistic parents).…”

“…5 Relating to cultural influences, there are studies that document an international transmission of norms, e.g., with regard to inequality (Atkinson, 1997), corruption (Sandholtz and Gray, 2003), obesity (Mendez and Popkin, 2004), education (Huisman and Smits, 2009) and the use of child labor (Congdon Fors, 2012). Other studies find that television affects values and behavior (e.g., Gentzkow and Shapiro, 2004;DellaVigna and Kaplan, 2007;Jensen and Oster, 2009). Relating to economic interaction, Berggren and Jordahl (2006) show that marketoriented institutions and policies seem to be able to stimulate social trust, and Berggren and Nilsson (2012) document a similar effect for tolerance towards homosexuals.…”

The Economics of Television and Online Video Markets

“…This survey reflects this con-1 ([zzz Wilbur Chapter zzz]). 2 e.g., Gentzkow (2006), Prat and Strömberg (2011) 3 e.g., Gentzkow and Shapiro (2007), Jensen and Oster (2009). 4 For most of the television industry's history, the typical distinction drawn in both the institutional and academic literatures has been between broadcast and pay television.…”