American Economic Journal:
Applied Economics
ISSN 1945-7782 (Print) | ISSN 1945-7790 (Online)
Do Television and Radio Destroy Social Capital? Evidence from Indonesian Villages
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
vol. 1,
no. 4, October 2009
(pp. 1–33)
Abstract
This paper investigates the impact of television and radio on social capital in Indonesia. I use two sources of variation in signal reception -- one based on Indonesia's mountainous terrain, and a second based on the differential introduction of private television throughout Indonesia. I find that increased signal reception, which leads to more time watching television and listening to the radio, is associated with less participation in social organizations and with lower self-reported trust. Improved reception does not affect village governance, at least as measured by discussions in village meetings and by corruption in village road projects. (JEL L82, O15, Z13)Citation
Olken, Benjamin A. 2009. "Do Television and Radio Destroy Social Capital? Evidence from Indonesian Villages." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 1 (4): 1–33. DOI: 10.1257/app.1.4.1Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- L82 Entertainment; Media
- O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
- Z13 Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology
Links to press coverage
"Now There's Proof. TV Is Bad" from BusinessWeek, November 20, 2006