Lewis Davis, professor of economics, presented two papers at the annual meeting of the Southern Economic Association in New Orleans. "Political Economy of Inequality and Growth with a Taste for Status" addresses the role of envy in the formation of public policy and its implications for income inequality and economic growth. "Tunnel Effects, Inequality Aversion and Social Status: A Formal Model" addresses the propensity for individuals to be pleased by the success of others if they believe this signals an improvement in their own prospects. Also, a paper by Davis and Farangis Abdurazokzoda ‘14 was accepted for publication in the Journal of Comparative Economics. "Language, Culture and Institutions: Evidence from a New Linguistic Dataset," discusses that grammatical rules of pronoun use predict cultural values related to individualism and egalitarianism. This relationship is used to investigate the relationship between values and democracy.
Teresa Meade, professor of history, has published a second edition of A History of Modern Latin America, 1800 to the Present (John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2016). The updated textbook features coverage of the recent opening of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba and a new chapter exploring economic growth and environmental sustainability. The book examines the lives of prominent women and men alongside those of ordinary people from a diverse array of social, racial and ethnic backgrounds. It pays particular attention to popular culture and probes the reasons behind Central American migration to the U.S.
Charles Batson, associate professor of French, served on a panel at NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts to discuss the state of contemporary circus. Read more about the event here.
Compositions by Hilary Tann, the John Howard Payne Professor of Music, are receiving three major European performances in the coming weeks. "All the Moon Long" (for a large brass band) will be performed by the Cory Band in Manchester, England, during the "Festival of Brass" on Jan. 31. "The Open Field" (for a full symphony orchestra) will be performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales at the Bangor Festival of New Music on March 4. Both of these works will be recorded by the BBC for future broadcast. For Women's Music Day on March 8, "The Walls of Morlais Castle" (for string orchestra) will receive its European premiere in Bari at the Sheraton Sala Congressi by the EurOrchestra, conducted by Maestro Francesco Lentini.
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