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What is hidden behind the indicators of ethnolinguistic fragmentation?

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  • Kelly LABART

    (Ferdi)

Abstract

Ethno-linguistic fragmentation has become an unavoidable factor to consider when studying the determinants of growth. In their article of 1997, Easterly and Levine inaugurated the argument that a fragmented countries’ ethnic structure, measured by the ethno-linguistic fragmentation index ELF, negatively influences countries’ growth. Since this research, further analyses have either validated or challenged the method used by Easterly and Levine to describe ethnic diversity as well as the results they emphasized. The present research provides consequently an overview of the indicators used by the literature to describe and measure ethno-linguistic fragmentation and the argument put forward by the various authors to support the one or the other indicator. It also challenges the exogenous character of the main ethno-linguistic fragmentation indexes usually assumed in the studies analyzing the link between ethnic fragmentation and economic performance. Having a look at the correlations between exogenous characteristics such as the country’s surface, the population density and these main indicators, the article provides potential instrumental variables to be used to control for endogeneity of ethno-linguistic fragmentation index when estimating the impact of ethnic fragmentation on economic performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Kelly LABART, 2010. "What is hidden behind the indicators of ethnolinguistic fragmentation?," Working Papers I07, FERDI.
    • Handle: RePEc:fdi:wpaper:636
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    File URL: http://www.ferdi.fr/sites/www.ferdi.fr/files/publication/fichiers/I7_Labart_web.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nauro F. Campos & Vitaliy S. Kuzeyev, 2007. "On the Dynamics of Ethnic Fractionalization," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 51(3), pages 620-639, July.
    2. Leeson, Peter T., 2005. "Endogenizing fractionalization," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 1(1), pages 75-98, June.
    3. Nettle, Daniel, 2000. "Linguistic Fragmentation and the Wealth of Nations: The Fishman-Pool Hypothesis Reexamined," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 48(2), pages 335-348, January.
    4. Alberto Alesina & Reza Baqir & William Easterly, 1999. "Public Goods and Ethnic Divisions," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 114(4), pages 1243-1284.
    5. Jean-Louis Arcand & Patrick Guillaumont & Sylviane Guillaumont Jeanneney, 2000. "How to make a tragedy: on the alleged effect of ethnicity on growth," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 12(7), pages 925-938.
    6. Johannes Fedderke & John Luiz & Raphael Kadt, 2008. "Using fractionalization indexes: deriving methodological principles for growth studies from time series evidence," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 85(2), pages 257-278, January.
    7. Alberto Alesina & Eliana La Ferrara, 2003. "Ethnic Diversity and Economic Performance," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 2028, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
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    9. Paolo Mauro, 1995. "Corruption and Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(3), pages 681-712.
    10. Fearon, James D, 2003. "Ethnic and Cultural Diversity by Country," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 8(2), pages 195-222, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Stéphanie Cassilde & Kelly Labart, 2019. "A Pluri-Ethno-Linguistic Fragmentation Index," Post-Print halshs-02909924, HAL.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination

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