Working Papers


Abstract: Building on social identity theory, we suggest that natives from stereotyped groups tend to value cultural distance more and think that immigrants are not good for the economy and the fiscal system. We draw upon research showing that overweight and obese individuals suffer from social stigma and discrimination and we investigate the relationship between high body mass and attitudes toward immigrants in Europe. We exploit the appointment of the Belgian Minister of Health to provide causal evidence that stigmatization and stereotyping contribute to negative attitudes toward immigrants. Furthermore, a survey experiment shows that individuals with a higher body mass index prioritize cultural factors over economic ones when facing immigrants.


         Non-technical summary: Medium


Abstract: This paper empirically tests Max Weber’s thesis on how religious narratives, particularly the Protestant Ethic, influence attitudes toward wealth redistribution. Weber suggested that the Protestant Reformation, led to the belief that economic success was a sign of divine favor, legitimizing wealth inequality. Using a variation of the dictator game with "blessed" framing, we measure how participants’ redistribution behaviors change when primed with this narrative. Our results show that low-income Protestants exposed to the "blessed" narrative are less likely to redistribute wealth compared to Catholics, supporting Weber’s idea that Protestants justify inequality through divine providence. Furthermore, a narrative analysis reveals that Protestants interpret “blessing” as divine election, while Catholics focus more on well-being. These findings suggest that religious narratives significantly shape economic behaviors and preferences for redistribution, providing empirical support for Weber’s thesis.

Work in progress