Identity and Mobility: Historical Fractionalization, Parochial Institutions, and Occupational Choice in the American Midwest

Nicholas Wilson and Kaivan Munshi

No 2011-02, Center for Development Economics from Department of Economics, Williams College

Abstract: This paper examines the role played by a specific identity, defined as the attachment to a hometown, in determining occupational choice and mobility. The analysis links competition between ethnic networks in the Midwest when it was first developing, and the in-group identity that emerged endogenously to support these networks, to institutional participation and occupational choice today. Individuals born in counties with greater ethnic fractionalization in 1860 are today -- 150 years later --(i) significantly more likely to participate in institutions such as churches and parochial schools that transmit identity from one generation to the next, and (ii) significantly less likely to select into mobile skilled occupations. The effect of historical fractionalization on participation in these socializing institutions actually grows stronger over the course of the twentieth century, emphasizing the idea that small differences in initial conditions can have large long-term effects on institutions and economic choices.

Keywords: Identity; Institutional persistence; Networks; Occupational choice; Mobil- ity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D85 J62 L14 L22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 44 pages
Date: 2010-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his and nep-mig
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
https://web.williams.edu/Economics/wp/Wilson_HIV_Testing.pdf Full text (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Identity and Mobility: Historical Fractionalization, Parochial Institutions, and Occupational Choice in the American Midwest (2010)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wil:wilcde:2011-02

Ordering information: This working paper can be ordered from

The price is Free.

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Center for Development Economics from Department of Economics, Williams College Williamstown, MA 01267. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Stephen Sheppard ( this e-mail address is bad, please contact ).