Interregional Contact and the Formation of a Shared Identity

Manuel Bagues and Christopher Roth

No 152, ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series from University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany

Abstract: We study the long-run effects of contact with individuals from other regions in early adulthood on preferences, beliefs and national identity. We combine a natural experiment, the random assignment of male conscripts to different locations throughout Spain, with tailored survey data. Being randomly assigned to complete military service outside of one’s region of residence fosters contact with conscripts from other regions, and increases sympathy and trust towards people from the region of service, as measured decades later. We also observe a long-lasting increase in identification with Spain for individuals originating from regions with strong peripheral nationalism.

Keywords: Interregional Contact; Intergroup Exposure; Beliefs; Preference Formation; Identity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D91 R23 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 37 pages
Date: 2022-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ban, nep-exp and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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https://www.econtribute.de/RePEc/ajk/ajkdps/ECONtribute_152_2022.pdf First version, 2022 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Interregional Contact and the Formation of a Shared Identity (2023)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ajk:ajkdps:152

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