Culture, Ethnicity, and Diversity

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2017
Volume: 107
Issue: 9
Pages: 2479-2513

Authors (3)

Klaus Desmet (not in RePEc) Ignacio Ortuño-Ortín (not in RePEc) Romain Wacziarg (University of California-Los A...)

Score contribution per author:

2.681 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We investigate the empirical relationship between ethnicity and culture, defined as a vector of traits reflecting norms, values, and attitudes. Using survey data for 76 countries, we find that ethnic identity is a significant predictor of cultural values, yet that within-group variation in culture trumps between-group variation. Thus, in contrast to a commonly held view, ethnic and cultural diversity are unrelated. Although only a small portion of a country's overall cultural heterogeneity occurs between groups, we find that various political economy outcomes (such as civil conflict and public goods provision) worsen when there is greater overlap between ethnicity and culture.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:107:y:2017:i:9:p:2479-2513
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25