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Collective Memory, Cultural Transmission, and Investments

Author

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  • Roberta Dessí

Abstract

I study the transmission of collective memory as a mechanism for cultural transmission, in the presence of social externalities associated with individual cultural investment decisions. The younger generation's decisions depend on beliefs about the quality of existing institutions, norms, and values, which are influenced by collective memory. In culturally homogeneous societies it can be optimal to suppress negative memories while emphasizing positive ones. However, the ability to bias collective memory is costly: it may generate cultural overoptimism and overinvestment in some cases, the reverse in other cases. The scope for welfare-enhancing manipulation of collective memory is reduced, moreover, in culturally heterogeneous societies. (JEL D83, Z13)

Suggested Citation

  • Roberta Dessí, 2008. "Collective Memory, Cultural Transmission, and Investments," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 98(1), pages 534-560, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:98:y:2008:i:1:p:534-60
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/aer.98.1.534
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    File URL: http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/aer.98.1.534
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Valencia Caicedo, Felipe & Tur-Prats, Ana, 2020. "The Long Shadow of the Spanish Civil War," CEPR Discussion Papers 15091, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Sidartha Gordon & Alessandro Riboni, 2015. "Doubts and Dogmatism in Conflict Behaviour," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 125(589), pages 1790-1817, December.
    3. Rajesh Ramachandran & Christopher Rauh, 2018. "Discrimination without taste: how discrimination can spillover and persist," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 9(3), pages 249-274, August.
    4. Roland Bénabou, 2013. "Groupthink: Collective Delusions in Organizations and Markets," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 80(2), pages 429-462.
    5. Tim Krieger, 2011. "9/11's Legacy: How Abstract Fear and Collective Memory Lead to Real Economic Costs," Working Papers CIE 45, Paderborn University, CIE Center for International Economics.
    6. Alessandro Belmonte & Michael Rochlitz, 2018. "The Political Economy of Collective Memories: Evidence from Russian Politics," HSE Working papers WP BRP 59/PS/2018, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    7. Carlin, Bruce Ian & Chowdhry, Bhagwan & Garmaise, Mark J., 2012. "Investment in organization capital," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 268-286.
    8. Besley, Timothy & Persson, Torsten, 2022. "Organizational dynamics: culture, design, and performance," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 116651, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Jamie Bologna Pavlik & Andrew T. Young, 2023. "Historical Representative Assembly Experiences and Constitutionalism Today," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 65(4), pages 665-680, December.
    10. Davide Ticchi & Thierry Verdier & Andrea Vindigni, 2013. "Democracy, Dictatorship and the Cultural Transmission of Political Values," Carlo Alberto Notebooks 300, Collegio Carlo Alberto.
    11. Jamie Bologna Pavlik & Andrew T. Young, 2020. "Medieval European traditions in representation and state capacity today," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 133-186, June.
    12. Jamie Bologna Pavlik & Andrew T. Young, 2021. "The legacy of representation in medieval Europe for incomes and institutions today," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 88(1), pages 414-448, July.
    13. Alberto Bisin & Thierry Verdier, 2010. "The Economics of Cultural Transmission and Socialization," NBER Working Papers 16512, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Luca Anderlini & Dino Gerardi & Roger Lagunoff, 2007. "Social Memory and Evidence from the Past," Levine's Bibliography 321307000000000850, UCLA Department of Economics.
    15. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/1pol0t9ish8aibtfnljt1dn7he is not listed on IDEAS
    16. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/1pol0t9ish8aibtfnljt1dn7he is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Belmonte, Alessandro & Rochlitz, Michael, 2020. "Collective memories, propaganda and authoritarian political support," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 44(3).
    18. Sibylle Puntscher & Christoph Hauser & Karin Pichler & Gottfried Tappeiner, 2014. "Social Capital and Collective Memory: A Complex Relationship," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(1), pages 116-132, February.
    19. Michael Rochlitz & Olga Masyutina & Koen Schoors & Yulia Khalikova, 2023. "Authoritarian durability, prospects of change and individual behavior: evidence from a survey experiment in Russia," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 23/1061, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
    20. Alessandro Belmonte & Michael Rochlitz, 2017. "Collective Memories, Propaganda and Authoritarian Political Support," HSE Working papers WP BRP 43/PS/2017, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    21. Sefa Awaworyi Churchill & Russell Smyth & Trong-Anh Trinh, 2024. "The Long-Run Effects of Male-Biased Sex Ratios on Mateship and Social Capital," Monash Economics Working Papers 2024-02, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    22. Levy, Raphaël, 2014. "Soothing politics," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 126-133.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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