Research Seminar on Diversity and Development

David Schindler became the 5th speaker this year to present his research at the ICSID-CSDSI regular seminar on Diversity and Development. The seminar was held jointly with the seminar “Political Economy” and Economic Development and Growth Research Group on April 17, 2018.

Professor Schindler from Tilburg School of Economics and Management in the Netherlands presented his paper "Shocking Racial Attitudes: Black GIs in Europe".

Abstract: Can attitudes towards minorities, an important cultural trait, be changed? We show that the presence of African American soldiers in the UK during World War II reduced anti-minority prejudice, a result of the positive interactions which took place between soldiers and the local population. The change has been persistent: in locations in which more African American soldiers were posted there are fewer members of the UK’s leading far-right party, less implicit bias against blacks and fewer individuals professing racial prejudice, all measured around 2010. We show that persistence has been higher in rural areas and areas with less subsequent in-migration.