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Herding, Armed Conflict, and a Culture of Honor: Global Evidence

Author

Listed:
  • Yiming Cao
  • Benjamin Enke
  • Armin Falk
  • Paola Giuliano
  • Nathan Nunn

Abstract

We examine the importance of norms of revenge and punishment in perpetuating armed conflicts. Our analysis leverages the ‘culture of honor’ hypothesis from social psychology, which posits that traditional herding practices generate moral systems conducive to revenge-taking. We find that the descendants of herders (i) experience more frequent civil and non-civil conflicts; (ii) are more likely to be involved in conflicts motivated by retaliation; and (iii) exhibit a greater emphasis on revenge-taking in contemporary surveys and historical folklore. Our evidence suggests that a traditional form of subsistence generated a functional morality that continues to shape conflict across the globe today.

Suggested Citation

  • Yiming Cao & Benjamin Enke & Armin Falk & Paola Giuliano & Nathan Nunn, 2021. "Herding, Armed Conflict, and a Culture of Honor: Global Evidence," NBER Working Papers 29250, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:29250
    Note: DAE DEV POL
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    Cited by:

    1. Victoria Baranov & Ralph Haas & Pauline Grosjean, 2023. "Men. Male-biased sex ratios and masculinity norms: evidence from Australia’s colonial past," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 28(3), pages 339-396, September.
    2. Aditi Singh & Sarah Vincent, 2024. "Male Sterilization and Persistence of Violence: Evidence from Emergency in India," Working Papers halshs-04454278, HAL.
    3. Matteo Sestito, 2023. "Identity conflict, ethnocentrism and social cohesion," AMSE Working Papers 2304, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France.
    4. Marguerite Obolensky & Marco Tabellini & Charles Taylor, 2024. "Homeward Bound: How Migrants Seek Out Familiar Climates," RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series 2401, Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin).
    5. Amendolagine, Vito & von Jacobi, Nadia, 2023. "Symbiotic relationships among formal and informal institutions: Comparing five Brazilian cultural ecosystems," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 47(3).
    6. Lucia Corno & Eliana La Ferrara & Alessandra Voena, 2025. "Female genital cutting and the slave trade," IFS Working Papers W25/22, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    7. Ms. Paola Giuliano & Mr. Antonio Spilimbergo, 2024. "Aggregate Shocks and the Formation of Preferences and Beliefs," IMF Working Papers 2024/195, International Monetary Fund.
    8. Matteo Sestito, 2023. "Identity conflict, ethnocentrism and social cohesion," Post-Print halshs-03953975, HAL.
    9. Voigt, Stefan, 2022. "Determinant of Social Norms," ILE Working Paper Series 58, University of Hamburg, Institute of Law and Economics.
    10. Remi Jedwab & Federico Haslop & Roman Zarate & Carlos Rodriguez-Castelan, 2023. "The Effects of Climate Change in the Poorest Countries: Evidence from the Permanent Shrinking of Lake Chad," Working Papers 2023-06, The George Washington University, Institute for International Economic Policy.
    11. Ulugbek Aminjonov & Olivier Bargain & Maira Colacce & Luca Tiberti, 2022. "Culture, Intra-household Distribution and Individual Poverty," Working Papers - Economics wp2022_21.rdf, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Scienze per l'Economia e l'Impresa.
    12. Hufschmidt, Patrick & Ume, Chukwuma Otum, 2023. "Conflicts and political intervention: Evidence from the anti-open grazing laws in Nigeria," Ruhr Economic Papers 1009, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    13. repec:hal:wpaper:halshs-03953975 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Sestito, Matteo, 2025. "Identity conflict, ethnocentrism and social cohesion," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    15. Leopoldo Fergusson & José-Alberto Guerra & James A. Robinson, 2024. "Anti-social norms," NBER Working Papers 32717, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
      • Leopoldo Fergusson & Jos√©-Alberto Guerra & James A. Robinson, 2024. "Anti-social norms," Documentos CEDE 21159, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    16. César Huaroto & Francisco Gallego, 2023. "The Legacy of the Spanish Conquista in the Andes: Mining Mita, Persistent Social Unrest, and Cultural Divergence," Documentos de Trabajo 568, Instituto de Economia. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile..
    17. Kai Gehring & Paul Schaudt, 2023. "Insuring Peace: Index-Based Livestock Insurance, Droughts, and Conflict," CESifo Working Paper Series 10423, CESifo.
    18. Obolensky, Marguerite & Tabellini, Marco & Taylor, Charles A., 2024. "Homeward Bound: How Migrants Seek Out Familiar Climates," IZA Discussion Papers 16710, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    19. Schläpfer, Alain, 2024. "Cross-cultural differences in retaliation: Evidence from the soccer field," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 223(C), pages 216-233.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • N0 - Economic History - - General
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics

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