The Mission: Human Capital Transmission, Economic Persistence and Culture in South America

June 10, 2016 | 12:00 h - 13:00 h

We cordially invite you to a public lecture with <link www.bgse.uni-bonn.de/people/faculty-profiles/professors/felipe-valencia-caicedo-1>Felipe Valencia Caicedo</link>, University of Bonn, Department of Economics,who will talk about

“The Mission: Human Capital Transmission, Economic Persistence and Culture in South America”

Date: Friday, June 10, 2016, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Venue: Zentrum für Entwicklungsforschung / Center for Development Research (ZEF), Walter-Flex-Straße 3, 53113 Bonn (see <link 2316>map</link>). Ground floor, right conference room.

Abstract:

This article examines the long-term consequences of a historical human capital intervention. The Jesuit order founded religious missions amongst the Guarani, in modern-day Argentina,Brazil, and Paraguay. Missionaries instructed indigenous inhabitants in reading, writing and various crafts, before their expulsion in 1767. Using archival records and municipal census data, I demonstrate that educational attainment was and remains higher (by about 15%) after 250 years in areas of former Jesuit presence. These differences also translate into 10% higher incomes. The effect of Jesuit missions emerges clearly after comparing them with abandoned Jesuit missions, Franciscan Guarani Missions and using an Instrumental Variables strategy. In addition, I collect survey data and conduct behavioral experiments, finding that respondents in missionary areas exhibit higher non-cognitive abilities and collaborative behavior. Such enduring differences are consistent with transmission mechanisms of occupational persistence, inter-generational knowledge transmission and indigenous assimilation. Robustness checks suggest that the results are not driven by migration, urbanization and tourism.

Speaker:

Felipe Valencia Caicedo has been Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) at the Institute for Macroeconomics and Econometrics of the University of Bonn since 2015. Before joining the University of Bonn, Valencia Caicedo obtained his Ph.D. in Economics from Universitat Pompeu Fabra in 2015 and visited the London School of Economics, through the European Doctoral Programme. He completed his dissertation on long-term Economic Persistence. Prior to his doctoral degree, Valencia Caicedo gained experience as extended term consultant at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. His primary research interests are in Development Economics, Economic History and Economic Growth.

Entrance to the lecture is free, no registration is required. We look forward to seeing you at ZEF on June 10!