Social Studies: Cultural staying power; meddling parents; looking tough on crime
By Kevin LewisUpdated February 17, 2021, 4:05 p.m.
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Ghosts of cultures past
A study newly published in a top economics journal quantitatively analyzes a large database of folklore motifs from nearly a thousand cultures going back hundreds to thousands of years. It turns out that the folklore of the past still shapes cultures today. Cultures whose folklore more often depicted unsuccessful tricksters are more trusting and prosperous today; cultures whose folklore more often depicted heroes overcoming challenges are more risk-taking and entrepreneurial today; and cultures whose folklore more often portrayed females as submissive are less accepting of females in the workforce today.