Essays on the Economics of Identity
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This thesis focuses on three different empirical questions related to the economic incentives
to the formation of identity.
The first chapter examines the dynamics of occupational segregation of self-identified
homosexual workers, specifically accounting for the fact that part of their observed
distribution may come from selective disclosure of sexual identity. We present a
simple labour supply model where individuals choose both an occupation and their
revealed sexual identity. Using confidential data from the UK, we show that selfreported
homosexuals are concentrated in opposite gender typical occupations. As
tolerance increases, a greater fraction of homosexuals reports their homosexual identity,
particularly in marginal homosexual occupations, hence occupational segregation
falls. The finding suggests that part of the observed segregation of homosexuals in
opposite sex occupations is due to selective disclosure rather tastes or comparative
advantage.
The second chapter uses an original dataset covering the universe of local elections in
England spanning over 40 years to investigate whether the electoral success of women
and ethnic minorities leads to increases in these groups' representation as political
candidates in subsequent elections. Using a regression discontinuity approach, we find
that both groups enjoy a personal incumbency advantage. One direct consequence
is an increase in the fraction of women and ethnic minority candidates contesting a
seat previously held by someone from the same group. In the case of women, this
increase is also driven by an inflow of new women candidates.
The third chapter focuses on the impact of television on religious identity. We use
detailed survey data on individuals' self-reported religious sentiment, behaviours and
attitudes from Indonesia. We use the variation in signal reception due to geographic
topography at the sub-district level to estimate the causal effect of media exposure.
Individuals exposed to a higher number of television channels are less likely to report
being religious and following religious practices. Furthermore, they also display lower
interfaith hostility. At the village level, higher exposure to television increases the
supply of religiously forbidden activities. However, higher exposure to television
seems to have no effect on political preferences.
Authors
Tagliaferri, GiuliaCollections
- Theses [4201]