Title: Economic Hardship during Adolescence and Self-Esteem
Abstract: This paper investigates the relationship between an individual’s self-esteem and random negative economic shocks experienced during formative stages of the life-cycle. Combining individual data from parents and children within the same household, with rainfall variation during the growing season in Ethiopia, we find that negative shocks experienced during adolescence have a relevant negative effect on their self-esteem. We also find that these shocks have a persistent effect that spans across generations.