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Occupational Choice and the Spirit of Capitalism

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Author Info
Matthias Doepke
Fabrizio Zilibotti

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Abstract

The British Industrial Revolution triggered a reversal in the social order of society whereby the landed elite was replaced by industrial capitalists rising from the middle classes as the economically dominant group. Many observers have linked this transformation to the contrast in values between a hard-working and frugal middle class and an upper class imbued with disdain for work. We propose an economic theory of preference formation where both the divergence of attitudes across social classes and the ensuing reversal of economic fortunes are equilibrium outcomes. In our theory, parents shape their children's preferences in response to economic incentives. This results in the stratification of society along occupational lines. Middle-class families in occupations that require effort, skill, and experience develop patience and work ethics, whereas upper-class families relying on rental income cultivate a refined taste for leisure. These class-specific attitudes, which are rooted in the nature of pre-industrial professions, become key determinants of success once industrialization transforms the economic landscape.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 12917.

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Date of creation: Feb 2007
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Publication status: published as Matthias Doepke & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2008. "Occupational Choice and the Spirit of Capitalism," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 123(2), pages 747-793, 05.
Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:12917

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
N2 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions
N3 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Income, and Wealth
O11 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
O15 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
O40 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Boppart, Timo & Falkinger, Josef & Grossmann, Volker & Woitek, Ulrich & Wüthrich, Gabriela, 2008. "Qualifying Religion: The Role of Plural Identities for Educational Production," IZA Discussion Papers 3408, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Maria Saez-Marti & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2008. "Preferences as Human Capital: Rational Choice Theories of Endogenous Preferences and Socioeconomic Changes," Finnish Economic Papers, Finnish Economic Association, vol. 21(2), pages 81-94, Autumn. [Downloadable!]
  3. Volodymyr Perederiy, 2007. "Kombinierte Liquiditäts- und Solvenzkennzahlen und ein darauf basierendes Insolvenzprognosemodell für deutsche GmbHs," SFB 649 Discussion Papers SFB649DP2007-060, Sonderforschungsbereich 649, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  4. Alessandra Fogli & Laura Veldkamp, 2008. "Nature or Nurture? Learning and the Geography of Female Labor Force Participation," NBER Working Papers 14097, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Kerstin Kiefer & Philipp Schorn, 2007. "Auswirkungen der IFRS-Umstellung auf die Risikoprämie von Unternehmensanleihen - Eine empirische Studie für Deutschland, Österreich und die Schweiz," SFB 649 Discussion Papers SFB649DP2007-056, Sonderforschungsbereich 649, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  6. Matthias Doepke, 2007. "The Research Agenda: Matthias Doepke on the Transition from Stagnation to Growth," EconomicDynamics Newsletter, Review of Economic Dynamics, vol. 8(2), April. [Downloadable!]
  7. Jean-Baptiste Michau, 2009. "Unemployment Insurance and Cultural Transmission: Theory and Application to European Unemployment," CEP Discussion Papers dp0936, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE. [Downloadable!]
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  9. Alessandra Fogli & Laura Veldkamp, 2007. "Nature or Nurture? Learning and Female Labor Force Dynamics," Working Papers 07-12, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
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  10. Mariko Klasing, 2008. "Culturally Risk Averse? – A Model of Economic Growth with Endogenous Culture," University of St. Gallen Department of Economics working paper series 2008 2008-23, Department of Economics, University of St. Gallen. [Downloadable!]
  11. Marcus Wagner, 2007. "Determinants of the Acquisition of Smaller Firms by Larger Incumbents in High-Tech Industries: Are they related to Innovation and Technology Sourcing?," SFB 649 Discussion Papers SFB649DP2007-063, Sonderforschungsbereich 649, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. [Downloadable!]
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  15. Sebastian Braun & Nadja Dwenger & Dorothea Kübler, 2007. "Telling the Truth May Not Pay Off: An Empirical Study of Centralised University Admissions in Germany," SFB 649 Discussion Papers SFB649DP2007-070, Sonderforschungsbereich 649, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. [Downloadable!]
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  16. Oded Galor & Stelios Michalopoulos, 2006. "Darwinian Evolution of Entrepreneurial Spirit and the Process of Development," Working Papers 2006-12, Brown University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  17. Jeremy Greenwood & Nezih Guner, 2009. "Social Change: The Sexual Revolution," RCER Working Papers 550, University of Rochester - Center for Economic Research (RCER). [Downloadable!]
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  18. Barnett, Richard C & Bhattacharya, Joydeep & Puhakka, Mikko, 2009. "Patience Cycles," Staff General Research Papers 13080, Iowa State University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
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