Anne Sofie is back from Harvard

Anne Sofie Back Knudsen went to Harvard in 2018 to study the cultural determinants and consequences of the industrial revolution. But now she will be back on our team with money in the bag from Carlsberg allowing her a two year reintegration fellowship.

Anne Sofie follows the route she set out early in her career and will sped her reintegration fellowship to further enlighten one of the most fundamental questions in economics: What drives long-term economic growth? With databases revealing cultural identity of first names and family patterns Anne Sofie will empirically test the role of culture in Scandinavian economic development in the period 1700-1900.

Asking Anne Sofie why this study is relevant, she answers: "Cultural norms help individuals make decisions in complex environments where figuring out the optimal action is often very costly. A question then is if cultural differences hold the power to shape economic outcomes across societies. Research has documented strong associations between culture and contemporary economic outcomes across societies. These correlations do however not imply causal relationships. To fully understand if and how cultural norms shape economic development over time, a historical perspective (and data) is necessary."

Read more about Anne Sofie's grant and proposed work on the Carlsberg Foundation's website.