Working Paper
Interethnic Proximity, Complementarities, and Politics in Malaysia (joint with Gedeon Lim, Danial Shariat, Abu Siddique, and Shunsuke Tsuda)
We exploit a British colonial resettlement policy in Malaysia (1948-1951) - which forcibly relocated over half a million ethnic minority Chinese into segregated "Chinese New Villages" (CNVs) - along with fine-grained spatial variation to examine how persistent interethnic proximity affects the political identity of ethnic majority Malays and long-run economic development. Malays residing in polling districts closer to CNVs exhibit lower electoral support for the ruling ethno-nationalist coalition, potentially reflecting a moderation of ethno-nationalistic political identity. We also find significant impacts on contemporary local economic development. The political effects are stronger in regions with historical interethnic complementarities, indicating that initial economic interdependence has had lasting consequences. Novel, in-person, primary survey data further reveal that Malays living near CNVs report greater contact with Chinese minorities, higher trust, weaker zero-sum mindsets, and higher income and wealth. These findings suggest that persistent intergroup contact and economic complementarities can jointly underpin political moderation and local development.
Previous Version: SSRN, SoDa Labotarories Working Paper Series, VoxDev
Gender and Religion: A Survey (joint with Sascha O. Becker and Jeanet Sinding Bentzen)
This paper provides a survey of the literature on gender differences in religiosity and the influence of religion on gender-related economic and social outcomes. Part I examines why women tend to be more religious than men, discussing central explanations. Part II explores how religion impacts various gender-related outcomes, such as gender norms and attitudes, education, labor market participation, fertility, health, legal institutions and reforms, and discrimination. Within each domain, we distinguish between effects driven by individual religiosity (intensity of religious practice or belief) and those driven by their religious denomination. We synthesize findings from numerous studies, highlighting data source, measures of religion and gender outcomes, and empirical strategies. We focus on studies with credible causal identification - to uncover the impact of religion on outcomes. Correlational studies are also reviewed to provide context. Across studies, the evidence suggests that religious teachings and participation often reinforce traditional gender roles, affecting women's education, labor force participation, and fertility choices, although there are important nuances and exceptions. We also document instances where secular reforms or religious movements have altered these outcomes. The survey concludes by identifying gaps in the literature and suggesting directions for future research. An important take-away from our review is that rigorous empirical studies are scarce, leaving room for novel causal studies in the field.
Works In Progress
The Economic Consequences of Private Colonialism: Evidence from British Malaya (joint with Kaveendra Vasuthevan) [Draft coming soon]
Forged in Uniform: Napoleonic Conscription and the Foundations of the Italian State (joint with Marco Lecci) [Data collection stage]
Inter-ethnic Proximity and Competition in Southeast Asia (joint with Gedeon Lim, Abu Siddique, and Shunsuke Tsuda) [In the field]
Using Religion to Ensure Mental Health in Ghana (joint with Anthony Amoah, Prachi Jain, and Amma Panin)
Language, Nation-building, and Economic Development: Evidence from Indonesia (joint with Arya Gaduh and Gedeon Lim)