Climate, migration and intolerance : three essays in empirical economics
(2023)
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- Abstract
- The ongoing surge in migration over recent decades introduces constantly evolving challenges for both the societies of origin and those hosting migrants. This thesis revolves around three central themes, spanning from the pivotal role of climate change as a driver of migration, to the interplay of police communication, right-wing populism, and social media discourse in host societies, and the potential of progressive radio programming to foster a more tolerant society. The first chapter delves into the link between climate change and its impact on internal mobility in Senegal, where millions depend on rain-fed agriculture for their livelihoods. Combining data on migration histories of 13 million individuals, with remotely sensed data on local climatic conditions, we uncover that droughts have reduced medium to long-run migration from rural to urban areas. Severe financial constraints that limit costly migratory moves for individuals dependent on agricultural income are the most likely explanation for our results. Chapter 2 shifts the focus away from the drivers of migration to potential challenges in host societies. Drawing upon a unique dataset of over 1.5 million police press releases and corresponding Twitter conversations in Germany, we probe the impact of disclosing perpetrators' national origins in crime reports on the discourse on social networks. Employing an instrumental variable approach that exploits variations in press release authorship, we isolate the causal effects. Our findings reveal that disclosing nationalities boosted user engagement with respective press releases and triggered an upsurge in hateful posts. Adhering to the theme of media and inter-group intolerance, the third Chapter focuses on the iconic radio show "The Adventures of Superman" and its role in promoting tolerance and confronting the bigotry of the Ku Klux Klan in 1946. Through state-of-the-art radio propagation models and comprehensive analysis of a sudden and sharp shift in the story arcs of the of the broadcast, we document the program its profound effects on socioeconomic outcomes. Our findings unveil a remarkable reduction in support for segregationist political candidates, along with enduring effects on attitudes toward racial desegregation, interracial relationships, and participation in the Vietnam war.
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Schenk, Y. (2023). Climate, migration and intolerance : three essays in empirical economics. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/28116