Dialects, Cultural Identity, and Economic Exchange

Oliver Falck, Stephan Heblich, Alfred Lameli and Jens Sudekum
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Jens Suedekum

No 2011-01, Stirling Economics Discussion Papers from University of Stirling, Division of Economics

Abstract: We study the effect of cultural ties on economic exchange using a novel measure for cultural identity: dialect similarity across regions of the same country. We evaluate linguistic micro-data from a unique language survey conducted between 1879 and 1888 in about 45,000 German schools. The recorded geography of dialects comprehensively portrays local cultural ties that have been evolving for centuries, and provides an ideal opportunity to measure cul-tural barriers to economic exchange. In a gravity analysis, we then show that cross-regional migration flows in the period 2000-2006 are positively affected by historical dialect similari-ty. Using different empirical strategies, we show that this finding indicates highly time-persistent cultural borders that impede economic exchange even at a fine geographical scale.

Keywords: Dialects; Language; Culture; Internal migration; Gravity; Germany (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cul, nep-evo, nep-mig, nep-soc and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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http://hdl.handle.net/1893/2713

Related works:
Journal Article: Dialects, cultural identity, and economic exchange (2012)
Working Paper: Dialects, cultural identity, and economic exchange (2012)
Working Paper: Dialects, Cultural Identity, and Economic Exchange (2010)
Working Paper: Dialects, cultural identity and economic exchange (2010)
Working Paper: Dialects, Cultural Identity, and Economic Exchange (2010)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:stl:stledp:2011-01

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