Who are the world's most influential philosophers? by Dr Alice Evans저자 Dr Alice Evans

Saumitra Jha (Associate Professor of Political Economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business) joins me to discuss what prevents Hindu-Muslim conflict.We discuss his paper on "Trade, Institutions, and Ethnic Tolerance: Evidence from South Asia" https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/trade-institutions…

Over the 20th century, the entire world became more gender equal. Or so I thought. But Pakistan has rocked my priors. Female employment has slightly risen. Meanwhile, young Pakistani women are more sexist than their grandmothers. What is going on?Charts and graphs are on my Substack: https://www.ggd.world/p/is-pakistan-becoming-more-patriarchal…

The Patriarchal Political Order: Soledad Artiz Prillaman by Dr Alice Evans저자 Dr Alice Evans

Slave-Raiding, Solidarity and Status in Africa by Dr Alice Evans저자 Dr Alice Evans

Sub-Saharan Africa's Economic Stagnation by Dr Alice Evans저자 Dr Alice Evans

What Would Reduce Female Genital Cutting? by Dr Alice Evans저자 Dr Alice Evans

Why is India's female labour force participation so low? And how might that change?Suhani Jalota and Lisa Ho share insights from their brilliant work in Mumbai and West Bengal. This discussion is superbly insightly and great fun. Stay tuned for jokes & data.Paper on Mumbai: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/z3v4gxqpkvc4p9ntjy0ie/h?dl=0&e=1&preview=Jal…

If everyone is equal, it’s much more acceptable for women to get to the top.In societies where no one is special, men seem much more accepting of female leadership. Whereas in hierarchical cultures, where subordinates must bow to their bosses, female managers and politicians are more strongly disliked. They may even trigger backlash.This is a novel…

Patriarchy is reinforced by fraternal solidarity. The Athenian demos, German guilds, Tswana kgotla, Chinese imperial dynasties, Muslim Brotherhood and Indian caste panchayats all reinforced male dominance. As long as men are united, bound in collective loyalty, women are secondary.How might this change?On International Women’s Day, I’d like to high…

What’s the Future of the US Labor Movement? Suresh Naidu by Dr Alice Evans저자 Dr Alice Evans

East Asian businesses often go out drinking. Why is this such an important part of corporate culture, relative to other world regions?A month ago, I didn’t know. Now, after my interviews with people in China and Korea, the answer is very obvious.저자 Dr Alice Evans

In some societies, collective harmony is more highly valued than self-expression. If people are reluctant to speak out, prior culture is more likely to persist unchallenged. Caring deeply about social approval amplifies fears of ostracism and motivates quiet conformity. Moreover, where self-assertion is strongly disliked, feminist activism is more …

What I am about to say may make you feel uncomfortable. Some may even find it offensive. In some circles, it’s still a distasteful taboo. Westerners rarely speak about it publicly, certainly not directly, even though most people definitely want it.As a social scientist, I am not so squeamish. So I’ll say it……

East Asian societies tend to idealise:- Meritocracy and reverence for education- Upward mobility and economic prosperity (trumping the afterlife)- Collective harmony.저자 Dr Alice Evans

Hostile Sexism in South Korea: Professor Jouen Kim by Dr Alice Evans저자 Dr Alice Evans

Across much of the world, men and women think alike. However, in countries that are economically developed and culturally liberal, young men and women are polarising. As chronicled by John Burn-Murdoch, young women are increasingly likely to identify as ‘progressives’ and vote for leftists, while young men remain more conservative. What explains th…

Exogamy and endogamy aren’t just about who marries your daughter, but with whom you barter, truck and exchange. Marriage was fundamentally about economics.So how did exogamy and endogamy shape economics and culture?저자 Dr Alice Evans

In the West economic development spawned individualism and the spirit of ‘68. Modernisation theorists predicted that growth would deliver liberalism worldwide. Inglehart and Welzel argued that post-industrial societies would champion self-expression. But in fact, this has not transpired. Many prosperous places - like Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Sout…

In 1900, East and South Asia were extremely patriarchal. Men were revered as high status, while female sacrifice was glorified. By socialising women to marry, obey their in-laws and stay put, Asian families consolidated trusted networks of social cooperation. Since chastity was crucial for family honour, women were also tightly restricted. But, ove…

Why is Indian female labour force participation ultra low? To investigate, Suhani Jalota and Lisa Ho ran a Randomised Control Trial in Mumbai. They find that most women reject high-paying office jobs. This is not due to housework or childcare. Husbands said no. The paper: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/z3v4gxqpkvc4p9ntjy0ie/h?preview=WfH_JMP+(47).p…

Muslim societies are more likely to be authoritarian and marred in civil war. The big question is why?Faisal Ahmed presents a new theory: “Conquest and Rents”.He suggests that where Islam spread via military conquest, political authority was consolidated under a dictator. Political authority was then consolidated under a dictator, with elite slave …

Stopping Sexual Harassment by Dr Alice Evans저자 Dr Alice Evans

“The Two-Parent Privilege” by Dr Alice Evans저자 Dr Alice Evans

One feasible way to massively reduce violence is to tackle alcohol abuse. It is one of the single largest predictors of gender based violence worldwide, and it is not inevitable. Religious prohibitions, government bans and higher taxes can substantially reduce consumption.Many addicts wish they were not dependent on alcohol. I’m curious to learn wh…

A conversation with MIT Professor Yasheng HuangWhy is the CCP so resilient?How did the keju imperial examinations shape Chinese autocracy and culture?What does South Korea tell us about growth, democratisation and culture?Discussing his new book: https://yalebooks.co.uk/page/detail/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-east/?k=9780300266368…

Why do a quarter of European young men say they’ll vote for the far right?It’s not just men. In France, The Netherlands and Belgium, the far right is equally popular with women.Existing scholarship has emphasised regional development traps, economic anxiety, and cultural backlash. Quantitative researchers typically regress individual- or place-base…

All East Asian tigers have converged economically with rich industrialised democracies, but only some have converged culturally, in terms of gender equality. Why is this?저자 Dr Alice Evans

Men comprise 90% of heads of state, 90% of Fortune 500 CEOs, and 90% of applications for patents. Prestigious positions are dominated by men.Why is this? Motherhood, discrimination, social networks and patriarchal institutions all play a role. But there may also be gender differences in personality. Men are typically more confident and competitive.…

Poverty entrenches cousin marriage and patriarchal controls.What happens when crop yields improve and families become wealthier?Mobabark, Kuhn & Peters's paper is here: https://spinup-000d1a-wp-offload-media.s3.amazonaws.com/faculty/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2019/06/marriage-market2.pdf저자 Dr Alice Evans

Monsoon rains can cause enormous damage. Extreme floods are becoming more frequent, alongside global warming. Extreme flooding may increase early marriage and early childbirth, while lowering schooling. This comes from an important new paper in the Journal of Population Economics, by Madhulika Khanna and Nishtha Kochhar.Paper link: https://link.spr…

Societies vary in their preference for female seclusion. But regardless of culture, female employment rises with job-creating growth. Singapore provides a perfect natural experiment, we can observe how 3 different ethnic groups responded to industrialisation.저자 Dr Alice Evans

Panel data provides useful information about attitudinal change in that place. But even if certain countries show persistent traditionalism, we cannot assume this is due to culture. It’s possible - as in Eastern Europe - that many liberals have simply left.저자 Dr Alice Evans

The UK government will publish a white paper on international development by the end of 2023. It will set out their approach to international development to 2030. How can they best support gender equality?I have 7 evidence-based suggestions - relating to jobs, climate, lead-poisoning, culture and migration.…

By immersing ourselves in another person’s trials and tribulations, are we better able to recognise diverse perspectives and constraints?Might reading fiction, viewing plays and watching television have helped Americans become culturally looser - more open-minded and tolerant?저자 Dr Alice Evans

Egypt is one of the most patriarchal countries in the world. 90% of men say that ‘a woman should tolerate violence to keep the family together’. A new paper in Nature examines whether these attitudes can be changed through social media messaging. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01665-y?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=na…

A new NBER paper by Barbara Fraumeni sheds light on how culture mediates gender gaps in education and employment. https://www.nber.org/papers/w31535My Substack: https://draliceevans.substack.com/p/culture-and-job-in-asia저자 Dr Alice Evans

Why does the Middle East rank poorly for rule of law, trust, civil liberties and corruption? Waqfs and apostasy rules are the root causes, argues Timur KuranThis podcast reviews his new book, "Freedoms Delayed".저자 Dr Alice Evans

How has the CCP maintained control?- Coercive violence is outsourced to thugs, enabling the state to maintain legitimacy.- Respected social networks engage in ideological propaganda & persuasion (sometimes via shaming).Tremendous new book by Professor Lynette OngBook: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/outsourcing-repression-9780197628768?cc=g…

In “Putin vs. the People”, Samuel Greene and Graham Robertson suggest the annexation of Crimea triggered a groundswell of national pride. Russians rallied for the flag. They saw Putin more positively, turned a blind-eye to corruption, and even became more economically optimistic. This motivated wider conformity and social policing. Seizing on geopo…

What led to the emergence of states? David Schönholzer and Pieter François have a fascinating new paper, arguing that states, cooperation and conflict all emerged more quickly and more typically in places with great farming and weak exit options.Their paper: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7c34efbpe1ezy67/OOS_web.pdf?dl=0My substack: https://draliceevans…

When states are under siege, they militarise. Frightened publics want bellicose leaders and higher military spending. Once in power, militarists entrench their institutional and cultural dominance. They fan fears, act tough, and secure public support.Conflicts change popular priorities, not least by reinforcing respect and reverence for macho leade…

Prisons may have far-reaching effects on culture, especially where incarceration is widespread. Russia has high rates of both imprisonment and homophobia. 66% of Russians don’t want gay neighbours. That’s increased from 58% in 1999. Almost everywhere elsewhere in Europe, homophobia has fallen. What explains Russian exceptionalism?An important new p…

Culturally tight societies tend to have fewer innovations. Could asymmetric cultural policing help explain women's lower share of patents and leadership?Xin Qin et al 2023: https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/advance-article/doi/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad238/7227277Link to all papers: https://draliceevans.substack.com/p/does-patriarchal-policing-suppres…

A wealth of evidence from the US, Eastern Europe and Latin America suggests that when voters are concerned about corruption, they favour female outsiders.Graphs and links to articles can be found at https://draliceevans.substack.com/p/corruption-and-votes-for-women저자 Dr Alice Evans

The new “Barbie” film portrays the rise and fall of patriarchy. I have assessed its empirical accuracy.If you’ve watched it and want to reflect on real world parallels, you might enjoy my review. But if you just want to enjoy it or are yet to see it, PLEASE DO NOT LISTEN.저자 Dr Alice Evans

Right-wing parties have surged to power in Italy and Greece. Spaniards vote tomorrow, it may be for a right-wing government. What explains this trend? Economic stagnation has exacerbated frustrations, especially around masculinity. Men can no longer provide for their families single-handedly. Right-wing leaders have gained popularity by celebrating…

Everyone knows that Muslim societies are more likely to be authoritarian and marred in civil war. The typical Muslim society is twice as likely to experience a civil war with 1000 battle deaths a year. The big question is why?Islamic culture, Islamic law, the ulema-state alliance and oil have all been suggested. But they are inadequate. They fail t…

‘Good jobs’ for high school graduates have dwindled. ​Manufacturing and other manual-intensive occupations that on average paid substantially higher salaries than services have disappeared. This has undercut men’s ability to provide, bruised their egos, fostered patriarchal nostalgia, and catalysed votes for the far right.This podcast explains how …

Did you know that Arab tribes in the 8th-7th century BCE were mostly led by women? While this is not evidence of wider matriarchy, it certainly rocks my priors. Arab women were once revered as leaders.How do we know?Assyrian royal inscriptions refer to nine “Queens of the Arabs”.The images referenced are in my substack: https://draliceevans.substac…