Migration for degrading work as an escape from humiliation
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization
Publication Date
3-1-2011
Volume
77
Issue
3
First Page
241
Last Page
247
Keywords
Degrading work, Humiliation, Migrants, Multiple equilibria, Policy implications, Relative deprivation, Welfare assessment
Abstract
This paper develops a model of voluntary migration into degrading work. The essence of the model is a tension between two "bads:" that which arises from being relatively deprived at home, and that which arises from engaging in humiliating work away from home. Balancing between these two "bads" can give rise to an explicit, voluntary choice to engage in humiliating work. The paper identifies conditions under which a migrant will choose to engage in degrading work rather than being forced into it, to work abroad as a prostitute, say, rather than on a farm. The paper delineates the possible equilibria and finds that greater relative deprivation will make it more likely that the equilibrium outcome will be "engagement in prostitution." It is shown that under well specified conditions, every individual will work as a prostitute, yet every individual would be better off working on a farm. Put differently, when specific conditions are satisfied, there is a possibility of a "coordination failure:" if individuals believe that everyone else will choose to be a prostitute, this belief will be self-fulfilling. In this case, all the individuals choose to engage in prostitution, which renders each of them worse off. The paper discusses various policy implications. It is shown that a policy intervention (a crackdown on migrants' engagement in prostitution), if implemented strictly, can increase everyone's welfare, but when the policy is implemented loosely, cracking down on prostitution will only reduce individuals' welfare without reducing their engagement in prostitution.
DOI
10.1016/j.jebo.2010.10.006
Print ISSN
01672681
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V.
Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Stark, O., & Fan, C. S. (2011). Migration for degrading work as an escape from humiliation. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 77(3), 241-247. doi: 10.1016/j.jebo.2010.10.006