Seminar in Empirical Microeconomics - Bite and Divide: Malaria and Ethnolinguistic Diversity
Wann
Donnerstag, 30. Juni 2022
13:30 bis 15 Uhr
Wo
online
Veranstaltet von
Juniorprofessur für Bildungs- und Arbeitsökonomik
Vortragende Person/Vortragende Personen:
Elena Esposito (HEC University of Lausanne)
Bite and Divide: Malaria and Ethnolinguistic Diversity
mit Matteo Cervellati und Giorgio Chiovelli
Abstract: We study the role of malaria for the emergence and the persistence of ethnic diversity. A Malthusian framework predicts that the separation of humans into geographically partitioned groups enforcing behavioral isolation limited disease incidence in populations exposed to malaria. Using disaggregate data, we find that malaria increases historical ethnic diversity in Africa. Ancestral exposure to malaria still affects the differential persistence of ethnicities through its legacy of in-group cultures and ethnic endogamy. The results shed light on the debate over the determinants of comparative development by identifying the long-lasting impact of malaria on African population diversity and its ethnic cultures.