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The Social Consequences of Traditional Religion in Contemporary Africa

Author

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  • Le Rossignol, Etienne
  • Lowes, Sara
  • Nunn, Nathan

Abstract

In sub-Saharan Africa, despite the adoption of Christianity, traditional religious beliefs remain widely held. We examine the social consequences of holding traditional religious beliefs among urban and rural populations in central Africa. Using a variety of lab-in-the-field experiments that randomize partner characteristics, we test whether individuals who believe in traditional religion are treated or viewed differently by others. We find that participants act less prosocially towards partners known to hold traditional religious beliefs. We find that this behavior is supported by norms and by negative perceptions and stereotypes of traditional believers. The effects are economically important, ubiquitous, and are amplified by economic development. Individual-level data from across the African continent reveal patterns consistent with our experimental findings. Individuals who believe in witchcraft have lower incomes, and the effect is stronger in countries that are more developed. Our final analysis speaks to the origins of these effects. Within our experimental sample, the negative effects are stronger in rural villages with more historical missionary activity, and across the continent, the negative relationship between belief in witchcraft and income is stronger in regions with more colonial missionary presence. Both findings are consistent with descriptive accounts of Christianity leading to the stigmatization of African traditional religion.

Suggested Citation

  • Le Rossignol, Etienne & Lowes, Sara & Nunn, Nathan, 2022. "The Social Consequences of Traditional Religion in Contemporary Africa," CEPR Discussion Papers 16983, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:16983
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    Cited by:

    1. Boris Gershman, 2022. "Witchcraft Beliefs Around the World: An Exploratory Analysis," Working Papers 2022-06, American University, Department of Economics.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Africa; Religion; Tradition; altruism; Norms; Cooperation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • Z12 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Religion
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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