Decisionmaking and human capital in less developed countries; progress report, Jan. 1976-May, 1977

DURATION: JANUARY 1976-DECEMBER 1978. DEVELOPMENTS: IF MORE UNDERSTANDING CAN BE GAINED ON HOW HUMAN CAPITAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO SKILL LEVELS AND INDIVIDUAL EARNINGS, DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS IN LDCS CAN BE MADE MORE EFFICIENT. THIS INTERIM REPORT SUMMARIZES PROGRESS DURING THE FIRST SIXTEEN MONTHS OF A TWO-YEAR PROJECT. THE FACTORS BEING ANALYZED ARE SCHOOLING, FAMILY SIZE, ALLOCATION OF WORK HOURS, THE LIFE-CYCLE PRODUCTIVITY OF INDIVIDUALS, UNEMPLOYMENT, HUMAN FERTILITY, AND NUTRITION AND HEALTH. THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE FOUR OR MORE BACKGROUND PAPERS, NINE OR MORE EMPIRICAL CASE STUDIES, AND FOUR OR MORE SYNTHESIS REPORTS. EXISTING SURVEY DATA HAVE BEEN PREPARED FOR ANALYSIS. ADDITIONAL DATA COLLECTION EFFORTS HAVE BEEN INITIATED. ONE IMPORTANT DATA SET BEING ANALYZED IS A SURVEY OF INCOME, WEALTH, AND AGRICULTURE IN GUATEMALA. A CONTRACT HAS BEEN SIGNED WITH SURVEY RESEARCH MALAYSIA TO DEVELOP AND APPLY A SURVEY INSTRUMENT CONCERNING NETWORKS OF ECONOMIC SUPPORT. A CONTRACT IS ALSO BEING DEVELOPED TO COLLECT DETAILED ECONOMIC, DEMOGRAPHIC, AND AGRICULTURAL DATA ON 2,700 HOUSEHOLDS IN CENTRAL MINDANAO, LUZON, AND VASAYAS. THE SURVEY WILL INCLUDE INTELLIGENCE AND KNOWLEDGE TESTS. OTHER PROJECT ACTIVITIES UNDERWAY INCLUDE ANALYSES OF THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN DEMOGRAPHIC PATTERNS, LIFE CYCLES, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; DETERMINANTS OF WAGES IN RURAL INDIA; DETERMINANTS OF MARKET LABOR SUPPLY OF LANDED AND LANDLESS INDIAN FARMERS; DETERMINANTS OF RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION IN COLUMBIA; A DESCRIPTION OF ASPECTS OF FULL INCOME DISTRIBUTION IN COLUMBIA; AND THE PRODUCTIVITY OF CHILDREN IN GUATEMALAN PEASANT AGRICULTURE.