Viktor Malein
Postdoctoral fellow
Culture, Economic Stress, and Missing Girls
Author
Summary, in English
Cultural norms play a pivotal role in shaping how societies respond to crises. This study examines the causal effect of ethnic-specific gender norms on gender-biased mortality during resource shocks. Studying the 1891-1892 Russian famine, we compare cohorts born before and after the famine in districts differentially affected by the famine and with diverse gender norms. Our findings reveal that areas where women were depicted more negatively suffered a more skewed sex ratio favouring male survival. Our empirical exercise further stresses the importance of the cultural channel in driving these results and emphasizes the role of agency in survival outcomes. This study sheds light on the profound influence of cultural norms on survival-relevant decisions during crises, pointing at culturally ingrained channels of discrimination.
Department/s
- Department of Economic History
- Centre for Economic Demography
Publishing year
2024
Language
English
Pages
1-65
Publication/Series
Discussion paper
Issue
DP18761
Document type
Working paper
Publisher
Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)
Topic
- Economic History
Keywords
- Famine
- Sex ratio
- Folklore
- N33
- J16
- Z13
- N53
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 0265-8003