Key Terms
Neoliberal context
Mexican officials shifted away from state investment in "priority" economic sectors toward reliance on "the market" to d
Program goal
Improve health and education status (human capital) of youth in economically marginalized families; equip the next gener
Additional activities
Selling small agricultural produce (cilantro, tomatoes); raising hogs for sale; market vending (full-time for a small gr
Milpa limitations
Plots typically under 1 hectare; limited irrigation; poor soils; harvests usually fell short of even household consumpti
Silk earnings
Approximately $250 per kilo; roughly three months of consistent labor to produce one kilo.
Mozo earnings
Men ~$5 + meal/day; women ~$4 + meal/day.
Demographic imbalance
Among villagers aged 30-44, only about 54 men were in residence compared to 103 women.
Delivery mechanism
Primarily the educational sector.
Intentional design
Program creators limited payment size specifically to avoid "disincentivizing work" (Fiszbein and Schady 2009, pp. 117-1
Result
Titulares continued relying on the lowest-paid activities (artisan crafts, day labor, small market sales). Their economi
Sources
Lister (1997); Walby (1994).
Goal
Improve children's human capital. Effect: reinforced women's economic dependency and policed their economic behavior.