nep-evo New Economics Papers
on Evolutionary Economics
Issue of 2016‒11‒06
two papers chosen by
Matthew Baker
City University of New York
  1. The Cultural diffusion of the fertility transition: Evidence from internal migration in 19th century France By Guillaume Daudin; Raphaël Franck; Hillel Rapoport
  2. Towards a Theory of Structural Change in Agriculture: Just Economics? By Balmann, Alfons; Valentinov, Vladislav
  1. By: Guillaume Daudin (PSL, Université Paris-Dauphine, LEDa-DIAL UMR IRD 225); Raphaël Franck (Bar Ilan University, Department of Economics, 52900 Ramat Gan, Israel, and Marie Curie Fellow at the Department of Economics at Brown University, Providence 02912 RI, USA.); Hillel Rapoport (Paris School of Economics, University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne)
    Abstract: France experienced the demographic transition before richer and more educated countries. This paper offers a novel explanation for this puzzle that emphasizes the diffusion of culture and information through internal migration. It tests how migration affected fertility by building a decennial bilateral migration matrix between French regions for 1861-1911. The identification strategy uses exogenous variation in transportation costs resulting from the construction of railways. The results suggest the convergence towards low birth rates can be explained by the diffusion of low-fertility norms by migrants, especially by migrants to and from Paris.
    Keywords: Fertility, France, Demographic Transition, Migration.
    JEL: J13 N33 O15
    Date: 2016–05
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dia:wpaper:dt201606&r=evo
  2. By: Balmann, Alfons; Valentinov, Vladislav
    Abstract: Though structural change in the agricultural sector has huge merits for economic development, the public opinion on structural change is quite negative. On the one hand, structural change does hardly lead to Pareto superior outcomes. On the other hand, there are concerns that structural change may go along with negative social externalities which may result from more industrialised forms of agriculture. This paper argues that addressing these concerns by agricultural economic research requires a systems perspective which goes far beyond traditional economic and reductionist perspectives. Conceptual approaches can for instance be found in the research on complex systems as well as in Luhmannian systems theory. Therefore, collaboration across disciplines is essential to develop a better theoretical understanding of structural change.
    Keywords: Agricultural and Food Policy,
    Date: 2016
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaa149:246420&r=evo
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