Globalization and the Transmission of Social Values: The Case of Tolerance

39 Pages Posted: 13 Mar 2014

See all articles by Niclas Berggren

Niclas Berggren

Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN); University of Economics, Prague - Faculty of Economics and Public Administration

Therese Nilsson

Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN); Lund University - Department of Economics

Date Written: February 18, 2014

Abstract

Tolerance – respecting those who are different – is arguably of particular importance in an era of globalization, where a potential for economic, social and personal development is increasingly a function of interaction with others different from oneself. We investigate whether globalization induces parents to want to instill tolerance in their children, the main idea being that this would equip the latter for greater success in a more integrated world. We indeed find, using a willingness-to-teach-kids-tolerance measure, that globalization enhances the willingness to transmit such social values. More precisely, economic and social, but not political, globalization has this effect, as shown by using the KOF Index of Globalization in cross-sectional and panel-data regression analyses of up to 66 countries. Addressing potential endogeneity concerns using an instrumental variables approach moreover suggests these relationships to be causal. Overall, our results confirm that certain kinds of globalization seem able to shape values in ways considered desirable by many.

Keywords: Globalization, Tolerance, Social values, Children, Welfare state

JEL Classification: F01, F10, P45, Z13

Suggested Citation

Berggren, Niclas and Nilsson, Therese, Globalization and the Transmission of Social Values: The Case of Tolerance (February 18, 2014). IFN Working Paper No. 1007, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2407955 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2407955

Niclas Berggren (Contact Author)

Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN) ( email )

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University of Economics, Prague - Faculty of Economics and Public Administration ( email )

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Therese Nilsson

Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN) ( email )

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Stockholm, SE-102 15
Sweden

Lund University - Department of Economics ( email )

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Sweden
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