Identifying With The Poor? Experimental Evidence From West Africa

Abstract Views of the poor are based on data from western countries not developing nations. How are the poor viewed in Africa? We focus on how identities shape views of the poor in Africa, and conduct a series of field experiments in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Senegal randomly selecting respondents using a multi-stage cluster sampling strategy. Our total sample includes 851 respondents that evaluated randomized profiles of a single-vignette of a person living in poverty. Results indicate that the poor are more likely to be seen as unlucky, and in some cases deserving of government assistance, if they were born into poverty, have limited education, and are female. Shared identities associated with class and ethnicity increase the chances of being viewed as unlucky and deserving of assistance.