The Effectiveness of Social Transfers in Promoting Education, Food Security and Health Care

Godwin Kwasi Awuah, M.A.

Doctoral thesis

Abstract:

Conditional cash transfers (CCTs) have been adopted in many developing countries in efforts to improve livelihood because of evidence of positive impact in pioneer countries of this intervention. Indeed, CCTs have been found to positively impact education and health in Ghana and Brazil. However, in the light of the Capability Approach together with the rural-urban divide in many developing countries, it is unclear if CCTs perform better in high capability locations than low capability locations. To fill this knowledge gap, this thesis analyses national datasets of CCT beneficiaries using the difference in difference approach with urban capabilities as treatment. Samples from the datasets were drawn based on the propensity score matching technique without replacement. Results from the study are mixed but generally, CCTs comes out to be robust even in low capability environment. Capabilities in urban areas tend to adversely affect the impact of CCTs on urban poor. Where impact was higher in urban locations these were not statistically significant. In the light of many of the poor in the developing world located in rural areas the study concludes CCTs are thus effective in combating poverty and vulnerability.

Abstract:

Conditional cash transfers (CCTs) have been adopted in many developing countries in efforts to improve livelihood because of evidence of positive impact in pioneer countries of this intervention. Indeed, CCTs have been found to positively impact education and health in Ghana and Brazil. However, in the light of the Capability Approach together with the rural-urban divide in many developing countries, it is unclear if CCTs perform better in high capability locations than low capability locations. To fill this knowledge gap, this thesis analyses national datasets of CCT beneficiaries using the difference in difference approach with urban capabilities as treatment. Samples from the datasets were drawn based on the propensity score matching technique without replacement. Results from the study are mixed but generally, CCTs comes out to be robust even in low capability environment. Capabilities in urban areas tend to adversely affect the impact of CCTs on urban poor. Where impact was higher in urban locations these were not statistically significant. In the light of many of the poor in the developing world located in rural areas the study concludes CCTs are thus effective in combating poverty and vulnerability.

Keywords

Social Transfers, Conditional Cash Transfer, Rural-Urban Divide, Capability Approach, Ghana, Brazil

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 30. 4. 2018

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 26. 6. 2018
• Supervisor: prof. PhDr. Tomáš Sirovátka, CSc.
• Reader: doc. Ing. Robert Jahoda, Ph.D., PhDr. Zuzana Kusá, CSc.

Masaryk University

Faculty of Social Studies

Doctoral programme / field:
Social Policy and Social Work (4-years) / Social Policy and Social Work (Eng.)