Economic Growth and Cultural Retention: How Britain’s Coal Regions Held onto Identity

The study explores how industrialization and reduced migration costs in 19th century Britain reshaped cultural identities, with economic growth promoting a London-centric identity but preserving local identities in coal-rich regions. It highlights how regional economic changes can drive both national integration and local distinctiveness.

In a comprehensive study, Vasiliki Fouka of Stanford University and Theo Serlin of Princeton University investigate the complex relationship between economic changes and cultural identities during Britain’s Second Industrial Revolution, focusing on how these transformations influenced migration patterns and regional identity formation. Conducted under the National Bureau of Economic Research, the research explores how the development of new industries and the advent of technologies like railways and telegraphs altered migration costs and reshaped cultural landscapes across England and Wales. The study contends that economic modernization’s effects on identity were not straightforward; rather, they were shaped by contrasting forces tied to industrialization and migration dynamics, which either encouraged regional cultural homogenization or reinforced local identities in peripheral areas.

Uncovering Cultural Patterns Through Names and Migration Data

Drawing on rich census microdata from the mid-to-late 19th century, the researchers analyzed cultural and migratory patterns through individuals' names and migration histories. Surnames, particularly those of household heads born before 1800, provided a stable representation of regional identities and allowed Fouka and Serlin to identify nine cultural clusters across England and Wales. By analyzing first names as markers of cultural choice and distinctiveness, the study observed significant shifts in identity patterns from 1851 to 1911. Names associated with the Southeast region, particularly London, grew more prevalent across the country, suggesting a trend toward cultural homogenization. At the same time, regional cultures outside London showed varying degrees of resilience, with peripheral areas experiencing less cultural convergence and retaining some aspects of their unique identities. The researchers found a strong center-periphery pattern in cultural changes, where areas further from London showed slower assimilation into the Southeast identity, while cultural convergence was more pronounced closer to London.

Coal-Rich Regions and the Power of Local Identity Retention

The study also emphasizes that not all peripheral regions followed the same path. Regions with significant coal deposits, for instance, showed distinctive trends, as industrialization in these coal-rich areas fostered local identity retention by reducing out-migration pressures. Rather than fully adopting the broader London-centric identity, these areas maintained distinct cultural identities, even as other peripheral regions experienced more rapid cultural homogenization. To explain these trends, the researchers developed a spatial model where migration and cultural choices were interdependent. In this model, individuals make migration decisions based on both economic incentives and cultural preferences, aiming to live in areas with similar cultural norms. Parents’ naming decisions reflect an awareness of future migration opportunities, with naming patterns aligning with likely destinations based on local economic prospects. For instance, parents in coal-rich areas, knowing that their children were likely to stay in the region or nearby, tended to choose locally distinctive names. This model captures the reciprocal relationship between cultural and migration choices, showing how these decisions shape and are shaped by one another over time.

Quantifying the Drivers of Cultural Change in Industrial Britain

One of the model’s key contributions is its ability to separate and quantify the distinct effects of industrial development and reduced migration costs on cultural change. The researchers conducted counterfactual simulations to isolate the contributions of various economic factors. They found that wage increases associated with local industrial growth primarily contributed to the cultural dominance of the Southeast by attracting migrants to high-wage regions, thereby spreading the Southeast identity. On the other hand, reduced migration costs, particularly through improved transportation infrastructure, led to increased long-distance migration and helped explain the stronger assimilation patterns seen closer to London. Interestingly, peripheral coal-rich regions diverged from this pattern, as the local economic benefits of industrialization reduced out-migration, which allowed these areas to retain distinct identities.

A Model for Understanding Regional Resilience and Identity

Further validation of the model showed that, in peripheral areas with high migration costs due to distance, local identities were bolstered by lower out-migration and less cultural diversity brought in by external migrants. This pattern differed in more central areas, where economic opportunities and improved connectivity facilitated more diverse migration flows and a greater adoption of the Southeast culture. The model’s insights into how regional economies and cultural preferences interact also align with broader historical observations. The findings suggest that economic changes could foster both national integration and local distinctiveness, depending on regional circumstances. By examining migration through this lens, the researchers explain the persistence of regional differences within the context of a rapidly modernizing society, where some regions retained distinct identities despite strong homogenizing forces from economic and infrastructural developments centered in London.

Insights for Broader Cultural Dynamics in Industrialized Nations

The study's conclusions extend beyond 19th-century Britain. Similar mechanisms could apply in other historical and geographical contexts, such as in Catalonia and the Basque Country in Spain, where local industrial development may have mitigated cultural assimilation into national identities. The research highlights the potential of industrial policies not only to restructure economic activity but also to shape cultural landscapes. Fouka and Serlin’s work underscores the role of bottom-up processes, such as labor migration influenced by regional economic changes, in shaping national identities and cultural integration. It also raises important considerations for contemporary contexts where economic policies and regional development might influence cultural convergence or preservation. This study ultimately reveals the intricate relationship between economic forces and identity, showing that economic modernization can simultaneously act as a unifying force at the national level while supporting the resilience of distinct local cultures, particularly in peripheral regions with their industrial economies.