British Industrialization and Cultural Change: Evidence from the Use of Proverbs
Abstract
Our research aims to examine the role of culture in the British Industrial Revolution by quantifying cultural values and exploring the interplay between culture and industrialization.Previous studies have highlighted the significance of cultural traits in predicting economic outcomes, but there is a gap in understanding the specific cultural factors that influenced the onset and progression of the Industrial Revolution. We fill this gap using a collection of over 25,000 proverbs from pre-industrial and industrial Britain and their usage in books and newspapers.
We generate AI-generated explanations for the proverbs, considering their moral and behavioral implications. We also cluster the proverbs into topics using AI tools, enabling us to identify patterns and similarities. We will refine and validate these clusters through human evaluation and comparison with expert judgments.
In analyzing British industrialization and cultural change, we begin by exploring the preconditions for industrialization. Specifically, we examine the prevalence of specific cultural traits and determine whether they predict subsequent economic development.
The second part of the analysis aims to track changing cultural values during the Industrial Revolution. By studying changes in proverb usage and distribution in local newspapers, we aim to understand shifting attitudes towards time, labor, money, and social hierarchy. Preliminary results suggest that the increase in manufacturing employment was associated with a rise in proverbs promoting patience and conflict resolution.