Betül Türküm

Postdoctorante ,  Aix-Marseille Université , Faculté d'économie et de gestion (FEG)

Développement et économie politique
Türküm
Statut
Postdoctorant
Domaine(s) de recherche
Économie du développement, Économie du travail
Thèse
2023, European University Institute
Téléchargement
CV
Contact
betul.turkum[at]univ-amu.fr
Site
https://sites.google.com/view/betulturkum
Résumé We show that the development of abstract reasoning and cognitive empathy (theory of mind) is severely hindered when children are deprived of the stimulation of a school environment. We document significantly lower abstract reasoning and cognitive empathy scores in elementary school children who returned from an extended school closure caused by the Covid-19 pandemic relative to proximate pre-pandemic cohorts. This developmental delay has a significant socioeconomic gradient, with underprivileged children experiencing more substantial delays. We also document a significant disruption in the development of socioemotional skills: 0.24 sd lower grit, 0.43 sd lower emotional empathy, 0.06 sd lower epistemic curiosity, and 0.24 sd higher impulsivity. About eight months of school exposure results in a remarkable recovery in abstract reasoning and theory of mind for all socioeconomic groups. However, the measured levels still indicate significant delays relative to the expected developmental trajectories. No notable improvements are observed in socioemotional skills except for curiosity. These findings reveal that the damage school closures inflicted on children goes beyond well-documented academic losses and highlight the crucial role of the school environment in fostering fundamental cognition and socioemotional development in children.
Mots clés Abstract reasoning, Cognitive empathy, Socioemotional skills, Schoolclosures
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Résumé We analyze the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on classroom peer relationships using a unique field dataset collected from 3rd and 4th-grade students in Turkey. Using data from both pre-pandemic and pandemic cohorts, we find significant changes in social interactions among the pandemic cohort after prolonged school closures. We observe varying effects contingent upon the nature of peer relationships. While friendship relationships deteriorated, some facets of academic support relationships among classmates display enhancement. However, this progress is exclusively observed among native students, as opposed to refugees. Additionally, we uncover significant improvements in inter-ethnicity and inter-gender relationships in classrooms after COVID-19.
Mots clés Peer relationships, COVID-19, Classroom social networks, Refugees
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Résumé The Syrian refugee crisis is one of the significant humanitarian challenges of the 21st century, and Turkey is among the countries significantly impacted. This study analyzes the impact of the approximately 3.65 million Syrian refugees residing in Turkey on economic development proxied by GDP per capita. Since Turkish provinces faced distinctive rises in refugee numbers after the Syrian Civil War, I exploit the differences in the proportion of refugees across different Turkish provinces to estimate refugees' impact on economic development using a difference-indifferences methodology. To address the potential selection bias arising from the refugees' settlement patterns, I employ a two-stage least squares (2SLS) method. Results offer suggestive evidence of a positive medium-term effect and a negative long-term effect of the arrival of refugees on economic development, while the short-term effect is unclear. However, none of the impacts are statistically significant.
Mots clés Instrumental variable, GDP per capita, Difference-in Differences, Regional Variation, Economic development, Refugees
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