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Clash of civilizations and the impact of cultural differences on trade

Gokmen, Gunes LU (2017) In Journal of Development Economics 127.
Abstract
This paper studies the Clash of Civilizations hypothesis from an economic perspective. Using data on bilateral trade and measures of culture, we evaluate how the impact of cultural differences on trade evolves over time during and after the Cold War. Evidence suggests that the negative influence of cultural differences on trade is more prominent in the post-Cold War era than during the Cold War. For instance, ethnic differences reduce trade by 24% during the Cold War, whereas this reduction is 52% in the post-Cold War period. We also suggest a channel for the differential impact of cultural differences over time. By studying the evolution of the effects of cultural difference and cold-war blocs on trade, we provide evidence consistent with... (More)
This paper studies the Clash of Civilizations hypothesis from an economic perspective. Using data on bilateral trade and measures of culture, we evaluate how the impact of cultural differences on trade evolves over time during and after the Cold War. Evidence suggests that the negative influence of cultural differences on trade is more prominent in the post-Cold War era than during the Cold War. For instance, ethnic differences reduce trade by 24% during the Cold War, whereas this reduction is 52% in the post-Cold War period. We also suggest a channel for the differential impact of cultural differences over time. By studying the evolution of the effects of cultural difference and cold-war blocs on trade, we provide evidence consistent with the hypothesis that cold-war blocs have trumped cultural differences during the Cold War. Thus, cultural determinants of trade replace cold-war blocs as a major impediment to international trade only after the end of the Cold War. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Development Economics
volume
127
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85009476503
ISSN
0304-3878
DOI
10.1016/j.jdeveco.2016.12.008
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
34f103dd-ffe0-483a-95b7-3bfa3f4bfa47
date added to LUP
2018-09-25 16:57:17
date last changed
2022-04-25 17:21:56
@article{34f103dd-ffe0-483a-95b7-3bfa3f4bfa47,
  abstract     = {{This paper studies the Clash of Civilizations hypothesis from an economic perspective. Using data on bilateral trade and measures of culture, we evaluate how the impact of cultural differences on trade evolves over time during and after the Cold War. Evidence suggests that the negative influence of cultural differences on trade is more prominent in the post-Cold War era than during the Cold War. For instance, ethnic differences reduce trade by 24% during the Cold War, whereas this reduction is 52% in the post-Cold War period. We also suggest a channel for the differential impact of cultural differences over time. By studying the evolution of the effects of cultural difference and cold-war blocs on trade, we provide evidence consistent with the hypothesis that cold-war blocs have trumped cultural differences during the Cold War. Thus, cultural determinants of trade replace cold-war blocs as a major impediment to international trade only after the end of the Cold War.}},
  author       = {{Gokmen, Gunes}},
  issn         = {{0304-3878}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Development Economics}},
  title        = {{Clash of civilizations and the impact of cultural differences on trade}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2016.12.008}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jdeveco.2016.12.008}},
  volume       = {{127}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}