Cultural gravity effects among migrants: A comparative analysis of the EU15

Tubadji, Annie; Nijkamp, Peter

Abstract

© 2015 Clark University. This article introduces cultural gravity as a concept that serves to better disentangle the direction and magnitude of the effects from migration, which is controversial in recent literature. The aim is to test for cultural gravity effects on both the geographic concentration and human capital productivity of immigrants in the EU15 countries. Operationally, we proceed to construct an empirical cultural gravity measure and test it with the use of a composite cross-sectional database, comprising, inter alia, the World Value Survey and Eurostat Census data. After an initial exploration of relevant cultural data by means of multivariate statistical analysis, we present an extended formulation of a gravity model approached through logistic regression methods and a three-stage least-squares estimation. Our results clearly demonstrate the existence of a cultural gravity effect among immigrants. Finally, an interesting finding is that cultural gravity also plays a significant role in the context of the Culture-Based Development (CBD) growth model.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 14, 2015
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2015
• Deposit Date: Jan 24, 2018
• Journal: Economic Geography
• Print ISSN: 0013-0095
• Electronic ISSN: 1944-8287
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 91
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 343-380
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ecge.12088
• Keywords: immigration, gravity, cultural distance, human capital, cultural capital, productivity
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/844834
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ecge.12088
• Contract Date: Jan 24, 2018