Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / This dissertation comprises three chapters on the network structure of the economy and its macroeconomic consequences. In the first two chapters, I analyze the relationship between macroeconomic volatility of individual countries and the international trade network the countries are embedded in. In the third chapter, I study the international migration network. In the first chapter, I show a regularity that European countries occupying more central positions in the intra-Europe trade network exhibit lower macroeconomic volatility. Intuitively the trade network has a core-periphery structure and the core is more stable than the periphery. This is puzzling because the core country is also more open to shocks coming from all other countries, which increases volatility. This relationship is informative in the context of the unsettled, classic debate on whether trade openness increases or decreases country-level volatility. Rather than considering an aggregate measure like trade openness, the idea of centrality provides a more comprehensive measure of the nature and strength of trade linkages as well as the identity of the trade partners, all of which have important effects on volatility. I construct a multi-country, multi-sector model subject to idiosyncratic productivity and liquidity shocks, and fully characterize the trade network generated in equilibrium. I calibrate the model to the European Union and I show that it closely replicates the observed negative relationship. Next, I extend the theory presented to incorporate a general network structure and its effects on volatility. From an empirical perspective, I construct an instrument based on geographic distance to establish the finding. From a theoretical perspective, I consider the possibilities of missing linkages and stochastic weights in the trade networks. The third chapter studies the European immobility puzzle. A theory of cross-country migration is devised in the form of labor mobility based on regional and sectoral productivity shocks in a multi-country, multi-sector setting. Differences across countries in socio-cultural and institutional factors induce a friction on such labor reallocation process. The model explains interstate migration network within the U. S. (frictionless benchmark) well. When applied to Europe, the model predicts a sizeable missing mass of migrants. Our estimates show this to be due to socio-cultural barriers.

Throughout history and prehistory, Sicily has played a key role for maritime trade in the Mediterranean. Interactions with Sicily are attested to in research for various societies throughout the Mediterranean as early as the Neolithic. However, much of this research paints Sicilian societies as passive, focusing primarily on external groups of people in a given period and their influence on the island. By ignoring the importance of the indigenous population, current research lacks a balanced approach to investigations and subsequent conclusions. This is most evident in literature pertaining to Mycenaean interactions with Sicily during the Bronze Age. Ceramic evidence and archaeometric studies can be used to reveal the impetus and scope of these interactions. This research addresses the nature of exchange in Bronze Age Sicily prior to Mycenaean influence. In addition, my research addresses apprehensions regarding the precision of portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis on archaeological ceramics. Samples of Bronze Age ceramics from eight archaeological sites in southern Sicily were analyzed using non-destructive pXRF spectrometry. Multiple single spot and multi-spot analyses were conducted to assess the precision of the device and the non-destructive application of the technology on potentially heterogeneous materials. Findings show no significant difference in trace element composition levels with either method. Regional signatures of ceramic trace element compositions may be developed and used to assess existing exchange patterns in Bronze Age Sicily. Comparison of ceramic exchange patterns between the Early and Middle Bronze Age suggests that Sicilian populations had a strong local identity and were noticeably inter-connected prior to Aegean influence.

Nesta tese estudamos as redes de comércio compostas pelos cristãos novos portugueses em um período particular da Época Moderna: durante a União Ibérica (1580-1640). Na primeira parte do trabalho conectamos as redes de comércio com duas problemáticas: a da identidade cristã nova e a da relação ente cristãos novos, Inquisição e Coroa espanhola. Nesse sentido, salientamos as estratégias dos homens de negócios e cristãos novos portugueses frente às tensões geradas pela perseguição inquisitorial e os estatutos de limpeza de sangue. Na segunda parte do trabalho estudamos um caso exemplar das conexões e tensões mencionadas acima: a história da rede familiar de António Fernandes dElvas, homem de negócio e cristãos novo português, mercador e traficante de escravos, que atuava no Mundo Ibérico, em especial no comércio ultramarino. Nesta tese consideramos que havia uma relação de reciprocidade entre a identidade cristã nova influenciava na organização dos cristãos novos em redes de comércio e essas, por sua vez, que reforçavam a identidade. / This thesis focuses on the Portuguese New Christians commercial networks in a specific period of the Modern Ages: the Iberian Union (1580-1640). The first part of this work connects the trade networks with two major issues: the new Christian identity, and the relationship between New Christians, the Inquisition and the Spanish Crown. Accordingly, the study emphasizes the strategies of businessmen and Portuguese New Christians in face of the tensions generated by inquisitorial persecution and the statutes of \"purity of blood\". The second part of this work analyzes an exemplary case of the connections and tensions above mentioned: the story of António Fernandes d\'Elvas and his family network. A business man and Portuguese New Christian, dElvas was a merchant and slave trader in the Iberian world, especially in overseas trade. This thesis considers that there was a reciprocal relationship between the New Christian identity and the organization of New Christians trade networks, in which the identity influenciated the organization of the trades and the trades reinforced the identity.

This study reconceptualises Sri Lanka's external trade and interactions from the middle of the first millennium BC to the early second millennium AD. Unlike earlier analyses, mine draws on the excavated material culture from three port-cum-urban centres - Mantai, Kantharodai and Kirinda - which were linked to major urban complexes, interior resource bases and Indian Ocean maritime networks. The scale and intensity of their external trade and connectivity, crafts and industries varied greatly over time and location. My findings illustrate Sri Lanka's earliest cultural-commercial connections with India from the middle of the first millennium BC. By the beginning of the CE, islanders were trading with the Middle East and the Mediterranean in the west and Southeast Asia and China in the east. The Middle East was a particularly strong connection from about the mid-3^rd century. Materials from Southeast Asia and China arrive by the late 7^th/8^th centuries, with the focus of external trade shifting away from the Middle East to the Far-East around the end of the 10^th century, lasting until the 12^th/13^th centuries and beyond. My findings demonstrate that internal developments in irrigated agriculture, iron technology, crafts, industries and procurement-distribution networks were crucial for external trade and connectivity. Contrary to the traditional view, I identify local agency as an important driving force behind both internal and external trade in ancient Sri Lanka. The island's external connectivity did not depend on a single factor but was based on specific historical realities which were constantly redefined and reformulated in response to the changing dynamics within and outside Sri Lanka.

Nesta tese estudamos as redes de comércio compostas pelos cristãos novos portugueses em um período particular da Época Moderna: durante a União Ibérica (1580-1640). Na primeira parte do trabalho conectamos as redes de comércio com duas problemáticas: a da identidade cristã nova e a da relação ente cristãos novos, Inquisição e Coroa espanhola. Nesse sentido, salientamos as estratégias dos homens de negócios e cristãos novos portugueses frente às tensões geradas pela perseguição inquisitorial e os estatutos de limpeza de sangue. Na segunda parte do trabalho estudamos um caso exemplar das conexões e tensões mencionadas acima: a história da rede familiar de António Fernandes dElvas, homem de negócio e cristãos novo português, mercador e traficante de escravos, que atuava no Mundo Ibérico, em especial no comércio ultramarino. Nesta tese consideramos que havia uma relação de reciprocidade entre a identidade cristã nova influenciava na organização dos cristãos novos em redes de comércio e essas, por sua vez, que reforçavam a identidade. / This thesis focuses on the Portuguese New Christians commercial networks in a specific period of the Modern Ages: the Iberian Union (1580-1640). The first part of this work connects the trade networks with two major issues: the new Christian identity, and the relationship between New Christians, the Inquisition and the Spanish Crown. Accordingly, the study emphasizes the strategies of businessmen and Portuguese New Christians in face of the tensions generated by inquisitorial persecution and the statutes of \"purity of blood\". The second part of this work analyzes an exemplary case of the connections and tensions above mentioned: the story of António Fernandes d\'Elvas and his family network. A business man and Portuguese New Christian, dElvas was a merchant and slave trader in the Iberian world, especially in overseas trade. This thesis considers that there was a reciprocal relationship between the New Christian identity and the organization of New Christians trade networks, in which the identity influenciated the organization of the trades and the trades reinforced the identity.

A expansão marítima dos séculos XV e XVI reconfigurou as atividades mercantis na Europa e levou a difusão dos centros de comércio e das fontes de mercadorias em novas praças na Ásia, na América e na África. O trato transcontinental e as finanças, que ganharam complexidade, concretizaram-se nas relações entre as redes de comércio com atuação global. Portugal foi o nascedouro de grande parte dessas redes familiares que se multiplicaram e passaram a ter negócios em todas as frentes do trato colonial. No início do século XVII, os grandes cabedais lusos transferiram-se para Amsterdã e Hamburgo. Famílias cristãs-novas destacaram-se no trato mercantil, entre elas a dos Dias de Milão perseguida e presa pela Inquisição , que reapareceu em Amsterdã e Hamburgo com grande atuação no comércio internacional / The maritime expansion that occurred during the XV and XVI centuries reconfigured the mercantile activities in Europe and led to the dissemination of commercial centers and sources of commodities on new places of Asia, America and Africa. The transcontinental treat and finances gained complexity that substantiated itself in global trade networks. Portugal was the incubator of a great deal of those multiplying family networks that started to have businesses in all fronts of the colonial treat. At the beginning of the XVII century, the great Portuguese estates were transferred to Amsterdam and Hamburg. New-Christian families had significant importance in commercial dealings, among them the Dias de Milão family, persecuted and arrested by the Inquisition that reappeared in Amsterdam and Hamburg with great outwork on international commerce

A expansão marítima dos séculos XV e XVI reconfigurou as atividades mercantis na Europa e levou a difusão dos centros de comércio e das fontes de mercadorias em novas praças na Ásia, na América e na África. O trato transcontinental e as finanças, que ganharam complexidade, concretizaram-se nas relações entre as redes de comércio com atuação global. Portugal foi o nascedouro de grande parte dessas redes familiares que se multiplicaram e passaram a ter negócios em todas as frentes do trato colonial. No início do século XVII, os grandes cabedais lusos transferiram-se para Amsterdã e Hamburgo. Famílias cristãs-novas destacaram-se no trato mercantil, entre elas a dos Dias de Milão perseguida e presa pela Inquisição , que reapareceu em Amsterdã e Hamburgo com grande atuação no comércio internacional / The maritime expansion that occurred during the XV and XVI centuries reconfigured the mercantile activities in Europe and led to the dissemination of commercial centers and sources of commodities on new places of Asia, America and Africa. The transcontinental treat and finances gained complexity that substantiated itself in global trade networks. Portugal was the incubator of a great deal of those multiplying family networks that started to have businesses in all fronts of the colonial treat. At the beginning of the XVII century, the great Portuguese estates were transferred to Amsterdam and Hamburg. New-Christian families had significant importance in commercial dealings, among them the Dias de Milão family, persecuted and arrested by the Inquisition that reappeared in Amsterdam and Hamburg with great outwork on international commerce

No description available.

Plus d’un quart de siècle après la chute du Mur de Berlin, la radicalité des changements politiques et économiques, caractérisés par l’intégration dans l’économie-monde et l’Union européenne, ainsi que par la récente montée du nationalisme, continue à poser des questions quant au devenir de l’espace centre-est européen. Ce contexte amène à appréhender dans ce travail l’effet de ces bouleversements au prisme des villes et de leurs évolutions. Trois forces majeures ayant guidé les transformations en Europe centrale et orientale sont examinées depuis 1989 : l’européanisation, la mondialisation et le changement endogène – relevant des traces du passé. Les dynamiques respectives de ces trois forces sont évaluées au moyen d’une approche interurbaine. Les échanges économiques entre villes centre-est européennes et celles du reste du monde sont examinés au travers de réseaux transnationaux et mondialisés – de transport aérien et de firmes. Ces échanges sont confrontés aux réseaux commerciaux entre pays. Cette thèse contribue à montrer que l’intégration à l’économie-monde s’est accompagnée d’un renforcement des logiques de polarisation divisant l’espace centre-est européen entre le Nord-Ouest et le Sud-Est. Cette intégration en cours, ou plutôt ces différentes « intégrations », ne se sont toutefois pas opérées uniquement au profit des métropoles. En effet, malgré une prédominance de l’européanisation, les liens de l’époque communiste constituent une force économique majeure pour certaines petites et moyennes villes – à l’image de l’entre-deux historique de l’espace centre-est européen. / A quarter of century after the fall of the Berlin Wall, radical political and economic changes, integration into the world economy and the European Union, and the recent reinforcement of nationalism are still persistent subjects of debate with regards to the future of Central and Eastern Europe. This thesis examines three major transformative forces in Central and Eastern Europe since 1989 at city-level: europeanisation, globalization and endogenous changes – related to path dependence effects. The dynamics of these three forces are analyzed by looking at the evolution of economic exchanges of CEE cities with other worldwide cities in the context of transnational and globalized networks – air traffic and firms. They are confronted with trade networks at country level. This dissertation illustrates that integration into the world-economy has deepened polarization in Central and Eastern Europe between the Nord-West and the South-West. This integration process or different types of integration are not only a matter for big cities and metropolises. In spite of the predominance of europeanisation, links from the communist period continue to be a major economic force, especially for small and medium-sized cities, reflecting the historical in-between situation of Central and Eastern Europe. / Ćwierć wieku później, radykalne zmiany polityczne i gospodarcze po upadku Muru Berlińskiego, integracja z gospodarką światową, przystąpienie do Unii Europejskiej oraz nasilające się tendencje nacjonalistyczne są wciąż bieżącymi tematami w dyskusji o przyszłości Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej. W tym kontekście, dysertacja proponuje analizę zmian systemowych, które dokonały się w regionie na poziomie miast. Przedmiotem badania są trzy procesy towarzyszące transformacjom po 1989: europeizacja, globalizacja oraz przemiany w regionie uwarunkowane relacjami z przeszłości. Dynamika wymienionych trzech procesów zostanie zbadana w odniesieniu do wymian ekonomicznych między miastami Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej a innymi miastami Europy i świata w sferze międzynarodowych powiązań lotniczych i firmowych, porównanych z siecią handlową ukształtowaną między państwami regionu. Wnioski badawcze wykazują, że w rezultacie integracji z gospodarką światową pogłębia się polaryzacja przestrzeni Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej w układzie północny zachód i południowy wschód. Różnorodność typów integracji odnosi się nie tylko do metropolii i dużych miast. Wobec dominującej siły europeizacji, powiązania z miastami z czasów komunistycznych są nadal ważnym aspektem funkcjonowania miast małych i średnich, ilustrując zarazem historyczną sytuację entre-deux Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej.

This essay examines, from a religious psychological perspective and with references to current religious psychological theories, possible connections between religion and long-distance trade in pre-modern societies, with an emphasis on the Silk Road. These possible connections concern both the role of religion in trade itself; for example, in the form of supernatural monitoring and costly signaling of credibility, as well as the role of long-distance trade in the spread and formation of religions. This essay also touches on the historical context in which the Silk Road had its greatest significance for both trade and religion; from the 2nd century BC until the end of the 15th century AD, to shed light on how historical factors such as technology, politics and societal organization interacts and intertwines with religion and trade. / Uppsatsen undersöker utifrån ett religionspsykologiskt perspektiv och aktuell religionspsykologisk teoribildning möjliga samband mellan religion och långväga handel i förmoderna samhällen, med särskild fokus på Sidenvägen. Dessa samband berör såväl religionens roll i själva handeln; till exempel i form av övernaturlig övervakning och kostsam signalering om trovärdighet, som den långväga handelns betydelse i spridning och formering av religioner. Uppsatsen berör också den historiska kontext där Sidenvägen får sin största betydelse för både handel och religion; från 200-talet f.Kr. och fram till 1400-talets slut, för att belysa hur historiska faktorer som teknologi, politik och sammahällsorganisation står i ett ständigt samspel med religion och handel.