Title: British Industrialization and Cultural Change: Evidence From the Use of Proverbs 

Co-authored with Elliott Ash

Abstract: 

Our study examines the cultural dimension of the Industrial Revolution through a pioneering analysis of proverbs. By scrutinizing a dataset of 25,000 proverbs that were widespread in early modern England, we utilize advanced data analytics methods, including large language modelling and BERTopic clustering, to decode the cultural narratives embedded within these sayings. Our findings demonstrate how pre-industrial economic activities influenced pro-market cultural norms and offers partial evidence of culture's independent role in propelling the Industrial Revolution. Additionally, our research reveals the significant impact of industrialization on cultural values and beliefs, highlighting the dynamic relationship between economic growth and cultural change.

Bio:

I am an Assistant Professor of Economic History at LSE and a Research Affiliate at CEPR. My research interests include political economy, gender, culture and narrative, and early modern and modern China.

My work examines the rise of women, the self-perpetuation of authoritarian regimes, and the role of affirmative action in human capital accumulation. By tracing the impact of historical events over time and in various institutional settings, my work centers on the role of values, beliefs, and norms in shaping economic and political disparities.

​In my research of traditional narratives, I discovered that folklore is a vital source of values in contemporary society. This line of inquiry has produced a global dataset of values and beliefs across countries and ethnicities, with ongoing work in the broad area.