Conference Agenda

This paper examines the dynamic impact of natural disasters on the individual acceptance of a physical form of intimate partner violence (IPV). Based on a global sample of individual survey data and historical geo-referenced records of natural disasters at a subnational level, we show that natural disasters have long-lasting effects on IPV acceptance, increasing it in the short- (0-4 years) and medium- (10-14 years) run. Furthermore, heterogeneity analyses reveal that lower educated people are affected more relative to higher educated people, men are affected more than women, as are older cohorts relative to younger cohorts, while there are no differences between the effects of disasters on IPV attitudes of people with high and low income. Drawing on theories of IPV, we also uncover that likely mechanisms that may link disasters to the increased acceptance of IPV are psychological distress and economic insecurity fears.

This paper examines how earthquakes affect social cohesion using the 2012 major Italian earthquake as a case study. While some theories suggest that disasters strengthen social bonds and others indicate social disintegration, recent research points to more complex dynamics where disasters simultaneously strengthen in-group ties while eroding connections with diverse groups. We address the limited causal evidence on this phenomenon by analysing a unique dataset that captures multiple dimensions of social cohesion through behavioural measures: racial hate, hit-and-run accidents and marriages. Difference-in-difference and event study estimates reveal that the earthquake triggered immediate behavioural shifts toward self-preservation: racial hate and hit-and-run accidents increased, marriages declined. Over time, hit-and-run accidents quickly returned to pre-earthquake levels, while effects on racial hate and marriages persisted. This evidence suggests that the earthquake's initial trigger towards self-preservation adjusts differently across behaviours: adherence to safety social norms recovered quickly while intergroup tensions and personal commitments showed lasting changes. Testing different earthquake characteristics reveals that visible and measurable destruction had the strongest and most persistent impact on social cohesion. The earthquake's impact on social cohesion varied with settlement size: while medium and small municipalities experienced significant behavioural changes, major urban centres demonstrated stability. Additional analysis using city-specific data on Intimate Partner Violence and property crime further confirms this pattern, as these measures also remained stable in affected cities, suggesting broader resilience in urban settings. Our findings advance understanding of post-disaster social dynamics by demonstrating how different dimensions of social cohesion respond and evolve distinctly after a natural disaster.

High-rise housing plays a pivotal role in promoting efficient land use and mitigating urban sprawl, both of which are critical for sustainable development. This paper examines the role of social interactions in shaping high-rise housing investment decisions, utilizing comprehensive longitudinal micro-level data from the entire Swedish population and detailed sales data on the physical characteristics of the nation’s housing stock. Exploiting quasirandom variation in peer exposure, we find that households are more likely to invest in high-rise housing when peers or acquaintances have done so. Additionally, a small-scale survey of high-rise apartment owners confirms that living experiences in high-rise buildings are frequently discussed with friends and acquaintances, providing insights into the content of these conversations. Understanding these social dynamics offers valuable guidance for policies that replicate the support provided by peer networks.

This paper examines the effects of an educational program on Sustainable Finance Literacy (SFL) and its influence on sustainable investment decisions. Through a randomized controlled trial and an incentivized choice experiment, we found that the SFL program significantly enhances literacy, with participants more likely to invest in highly sustainable funds by 6 percentage points and less likely to choose less sustainable options (by 2.5 to 3 percentage points). These treatment effects were stronger among investors with pre-existing green attitudes. Additionally, higher SFL correlated with more accurate sustainability perceptions and reduced tendencies to chase past high returns.