Prof Nathan Nunn from Harvard University examines the historical origins of cultural beliefs by considering two empirical studies that examine the evolution of two different cultural traits and shows that culture is a continuously evolving process shaped by historical forces.
Free and open to the public. Seating is on a first-come first-served basis.
Increasingly, people have come to understand that cultural beliefs play an important role in decision making. This talk examines the historical origins of cultural beliefs by considering two empirical studies that examine the evolution of two different cultural traits. The first study examines distrust, showing that distrust was engendered during Africa's slave trades and that it continues to persist until today. The second examines attitudes about gender roles, linking this to traditional farming practices in the pre-industrial period. Although the studies consider very different cultural traits, both provide evidence that culture is a continuously evolving process that is shaped by historical forces.
About the speaker
Prof Nathan Nunn received his PhD in Economics from the University of Toronto in 2005. He was Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia from 2005 to 2007. He joined Harvard University in 2007 and was Paul Sack Associate Professor of Political Economy from 2011 to 2012. He is currently Professor of Economics.
Prof Nunn’s primary research interests are in economic history, economic development, political economy and international trade. He is a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, a Fellow of the Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development, and a Faculty Associate of Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. He is also a co-editor at the Journal of Development Economics.
Free and open to the public. Seating is on a first-come first-served basis.
