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Cultural Doorways in the Barriers to Development

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Abstract

We provide a new measure of cultural similarity among ethnic groups and countries, based on orally transmitted narratives. Compared to other measures of phylogenetic distances of the separation time of two ethnic groups, either linguistic, religious or based on the “molecular clock”, our index measures the intensity of cultural exchanges across group pairs in their history, after separation and before the recent great migrations. By the use of this index, a “cultural clock”, we provide further support to the hypothesis that the cultural channel is key to interpret the role of vertically transmitted traits in the account for the deep causes of observed pairwise distances in economic outcomes, at both the ethnic-group and the country level.

Suggested Citation

  • Marcello D'Amato & Francesco Flaviano Russo, 2023. "Cultural Doorways in the Barriers to Development," CSEF Working Papers 674, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy.
    • Handle: RePEc:sef:csefwp:674
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    1. Enrico Spolaore & Romain Wacziarg, 2013. "How Deep Are the Roots of Economic Development?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 51(2), pages 325-369, June.
    2. Enrico Spolaore & Romain Wacziarg, 2018. "Ancestry and development: New evidence," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(5), pages 748-762, August.
    3. Olsson, Ola & Hibbs, Douglas Jr., 2005. "Biogeography and long-run economic development," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 909-938, May.
    4. Klaus Desmet & Michel Breton & Ignacio Ortuño-Ortín & Shlomo Weber, 2011. "The stability and breakup of nations: a quantitative analysis," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 183-213, September.
    5. Paola Giuliano & Nathan Nunn, 2021. "Understanding Cultural Persistence and Change [Cultural Assimilation During the Age of Mass Migration]," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 88(4), pages 1541-1581.
    6. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/24ib66dtho86rp6keb6eqd20hr is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Paola Giuliano & Antonio Spilimbergo & Giovanni Tonon, 2014. "Genetic distance, transportation costs, and trade -super-1," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 14(1), pages 179-198, January.
    8. Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson, 2021. "Culture, Institutions and Social Equilibria: A Framework," NBER Working Papers 28832, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Culture; Phylogenetic Distances; Narratives; Comparative Development.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General

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