Cultural Diversity, Economic Development and Societal Instability
Author Information
Author(s): Daniel Nettle, James B. Grace, Marc Choisy, Howard V. Cornell, Jean-François Guégan, Michael E. Hochberg
Primary Institution: Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Newcastle University
Hypothesis
Does cultural diversity within and between nations affect societal instability?
Conclusion
Linguistic diversity within a nation is linked to poorer economic performance, which increases societal instability, while religious diversity between neighboring nations decreases instability.
Supporting Evidence
- Linguistic α diversity negatively affects economic performance.
- Religious β diversity reduces societal instability.
- Higher linguistic diversity among neighboring nations correlates with less stability.
- Different types of cultural diversity have varying effects on societal outcomes.
Takeaway
Countries with many different languages might have more problems, but if they have different religions from their neighbors, they might be more stable.
Methodology
The study used structural equation modeling to analyze a large cross-national dataset on cultural diversity, economic conditions, and societal instability.
Limitations
The study oversimplifies the causal relationship between economic performance and societal instability and does not account for the role of institutional quality.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.581
Statistical Significance
p=0.581
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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