Welcome to my webpage. I am an Associate Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics of Clermont Auvergne University, CERDI. I am also a former elected member of the Steering Committee of the French Association of Development Economists (AFEDEV).
You can find my CV here.
I am a development/political economist interested in how information, institutions, and identity shape the way societies evolve, how power is distributed, and how inequality persists or is challenged over time.
I frequently use institutional variation, natural experiments, and original data sources to generate evidence that informs both academic debates and policy design.
I focus on two interrelated themes:
How does access to information, institutional design, and collective action influence political participation, gender equality, and environmental outcomes?
In this theme, I explore how access to information and the structure of institutions influence individuals' political behavior and collective action. This includes investigating the impact of digital connectivity—such as social media—on norms, political attitudes as well as political representation (e.g. women). I also examine the catalytic role of climate regulations in spurring civil society activism against polluting corporate behavior. My work often focuses on how these elements interact to affect long-term policy changes.
How do cultural norms, ancestral identities, and social structures affect human behaviour and development policies?
This theme examines how deeply embedded cultural norms and informal institutions such as ancestral kinship structures persist across generations and influence human behaviour. I look at how matrilineal and patrilineal kinship systems shape women's empowerment, health outcomes, and sexual behaviors, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and Indonesia. A key focus is on understanding how traditional gender roles and ancestral identities influence women’s HIV rates, their access to divorce, and their decision-making power within households. I also explore the methodologies used to study cultural persistence, contributing to a better understanding of how historical and cultural contexts shape modern development outcomes. By focusing on the intersection of culture and development, I advocate for policies tailored to the unique cultural contexts of different societies.