Does Culture Matter for Development?

Lopez-Claros, Augusto ; Perotti, Valeria

World Bank Group, Washington, DC

关键词: ACCESS TO INFORMATION;    AGRICULTURE;    ANTHROPOLOGIST;    ANTHROPOLOGISTS;    ANTHROPOLOGY;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-7092
RP-ID  :  WPS7092

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Economists have either avoided orstruggled with the concept of culture and its role ineconomic development. Although a few theoretical works --and even fewer empirical studies -- have appeared in thepast decades, this paper tries to build on amultidisciplinary approach to review the evidence on whetherand how culture matters for development. First, the paperreviews available definitions of culture and illustratesways in which culture can change and create favorableconditions for economic development. Second, the paperdiscusses the challenges of separating the effect of culturefrom other drivers of human behavior such as incentives, theavailability of information, or climate. Finally, the paperargues that globalization has led to the emergence of a setof progressive values that are common cultural traits of alldeveloped economies.