Colonization and changing social structure: Evidence from Kazakhstan

• 成果类型: Article; Proceedings Paper
• 署名作者: Aldashev, Gani; Guirkinger, Catherine
• 署名单位: Universite Libre de Bruxelles; University of Namur; University of Namur; University of Namur
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-3878
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2016.12.005
• 发表日期: 2017
• 页码: 413-430
• 关键词: Extended family; Clan; property rights; institutional change; colonization; Kazakhstan

摘要

We study how Russian colonization of the Kazakh steppes in the late 19th century influenced the evolution of traditional institutions of Kazakhs. Using a rich dataset constructed from Russian colonial expedition materials, we find that during the transition from nomadic pastoralism to a semi-sedentary pastoralist-agricultural system, Kazakhs' traditional communes shrank, property rights on land became more individualized, and households became less likely to pool labor for farming. We argue that two main forces behind this evolution were increasing land pressure and technological change. The speed and the magnitude of these adjustments were much larger than usually assumed in most of development economics literature on traditional institutions.