Race Inequalities in Education in Brazil: Using Twin and Sibling Fixed Effects Methods

Leticia J. Marteleto, University of Texas at Austin
Molly Dondero, University of Texas at Austin

Abstract: Most of the literature on racial inequality of opportunities and outcomes (in Brazil and elsewhere) focuses on disadvantages due to variance between individuals in different families. Although critical, this line of research does not capture variation in outcomes due to distinct race labeling that occurs within families. The goal of this paper is twofold. First, I examine the contexts within which adolescents are racially labeled differently to determine the characteristics of families crossing racial boundaries. The second goal of this paper is to determine the extent of disadvantages in education due to different race labeling within families. I use twin data from the 1982, 1987-2009 nationally representative PNAD to examine the impact of race labeling within families using kappa correlations and twins fixed-effects models. Findings suggest that there remain educational disadvantages associated with race labeling even after shared family factors and unobserved characteristics are accounted for.