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. 2016 Jan;83(329):1-30.
doi: 10.1111/ecca.12168. Epub 2015 Nov 11.

Education as Liberation?

Willa Friedman  1 , Michael Kremer  2 , Edward Miguel  3 , Rebecca Thornton  4
Affiliations

Education as Liberation?

Willa Friedman et al. Economica. 2016 Jan.

Abstract

This paper studies the political and social impacts of increased education by utilizing a randomized girls' merit scholarship programme in Kenya that raised test scores and secondary schooling. Consistent with the view that education empowers the disadvantaged to challenge authority, we find that the programme reduced the acceptance of domestic violence and political authority. Young women in programme schools also increased their objective political knowledge. We find that this rejection of the status quo did not translate into greater perceived political efficacy, community participation or voting intentions. Instead, there is suggestive evidence that the perceived legitimacy of political violence increased.

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