Geography is not Destiny. Geography, Institutions and Literacy in England, 1837-1863

Arbeitspapier

Geography made rural society in the south-east of England unequal. Economies of scale in grain growing created a farmer elite and many landless labourers. In the pastoral north-west, in contrast, family farms dominated, with few hired labourers and modest income disparities. Engerman and Sokoloff (2012) argue that such differences in social structure between large plantations in the southern Americas, and family farming in the north, explain the rise of schooling in the north, and its absence in the south. We show, however, that rural literacy across England 1810-45 was not determined by geographically driven inequality. There were substantial differences in literacy by region, but driven by culture not geography. Geography is not destiny.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: EHES Working Papers in Economic History ; No. 15

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Regional and Urban History: Europe: Pre-1913 ; Economic History: Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy: Europe: Pre-1913 ; Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
• Subject: Comparative regional history ; European education history ; human capital development

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Clark, Gregory ; Gray, Rowena
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): European Historical Economics Society (EHES)
• (where): s.l.
• (when): 2012

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/246946
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET