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Testing Todd and Matching Murdock: Global Data on Historical Family Characteristics

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  • Auke Rijpma
  • Sarah G. Carmichael

Abstract

This paper investigates the possibilities for the creation of a global dataset on family and household characteristics. This is done by scrutinizing and comparing two prominent data sources on family system classifications. We first focus on historical data, by comparing Emmanuel Todd's classification of countries by family systems with ethnographic data compiled in George Murdock's Ethnographic Atlas . Qualitative and quantitative tests show that the two datasets frequently agree about family traits. Nonetheless, substantial differences exist that are mostly attributable to the focus of the datasets on different regions, and the difficulties in translating local, descriptive studies to hard data. We therefore emphasize that it is important to know the strengths and weaknesses of the two datasets and emphasize that robustness checks are necessary in empirical research into family characteristics. We also compare these historical data with present-day data. This comparison suggests that family characteristics and the values associated with them can persist over long periods.

Suggested Citation

  • Auke Rijpma & Sarah G. Carmichael, 2016. "Testing Todd and Matching Murdock: Global Data on Historical Family Characteristics," Economic History of Developing Regions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(1), pages 10-46, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rehdxx:v:31:y:2016:i:1:p:10-46
    DOI: 10.1080/20780389.2015.1114415
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    Cited by:

    1. Yohan Iddawela & Neil Lee & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2021. "Quality of Sub-national Government and Regional Development in Africa," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(8), pages 1282-1302, August.
    2. Santos Silva, Manuel & Alexander, Amy C. & Klasen, Stephan & Welzel, Christian, 2023. "The roots of female emancipation: Initializing role of Cool Water," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 133-159.
    3. Gutmann, Jerg & Voigt, Stefan, 2020. "Traditional law in times of the nation state: why is it so prevalent?," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 16(4), pages 445-461, August.
    4. Gutmann, Jerg & Voigt, Stefan, 2022. "Testing Todd: family types and development," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 18(1), pages 101-118, February.
    5. Bertocchi, Graziella & Dimico, Arcangelo, 2019. "The long-term determinants of female HIV infection in Africa: The slave trade, polygyny, and sexual behavior," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 90-105.
    6. C. Cascella & J. Williams & M. Pampaka, 2022. "An Extended Regional Gender Gaps Index (eRGGI): Comparative Measurement of Gender Equality at Different Levels of Regionality," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 159(2), pages 757-800, January.
    7. Lotte van der Vleuten, 2016. "Mind The Gap! The Influence of Family Systems on The Gender Education Gap in Developing Countries, 1950--2005," Economic History of Developing Regions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(1), pages 47-81, March.
    8. Szoltysek, Mikolaj & Poniat, Radosław, 2019. "Historical family systems and lasting developmental trajectories in Europe: the power of the family?," SocArXiv ad7qr, Center for Open Science.
    9. Kravtsova, Maria & Libman, Alexander, 2023. "Historical family structure as a predictor of liberal voting: Evidence from a century of Russian history," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 47(2).
    10. Le Bris, David, 2020. "Family Characteristics and Economic Development," MPRA Paper 105325, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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