The Economics of Education, 2nd Edition

Chapter 18

Parental socioeconomic status, child health, and human capital

J. Currie ^a , and J. Goodman ^{b       a} Columbia University, New York, NY, United States      ^b Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States

Abstract

Investments in education pay off in the form of higher future earnings, and differences in educational attainments explain a significant fraction of the adult variation in wages, incomes, and other outcomes. But what determines a child's educational success? Most studies point to family background as the primary factor. But why does background matter? While many aspects are no doubt important, research increasingly implicates health as a potentially major factor. The importance of health for education and earnings ...