Research setting:
This workshop is organized by the Groningen Growth and Development Centre and co-funded by the University of Groningen, the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) and the N.W. Posthumus Institute.
Requirements:
This workshop invites applications from researchers in Economic History and/or Economics, especially PhD candidates and post-doctoral researchers. The deadline for applications is May 1st, 2016.
Workshop description:
One of the biggest achievements of our society during the last 200 years has been the escape from a regime in which premature death and stunted physical growth were the norm to a world where low health status has become a thing of the past in many parts of the globe. This „Great Escape‟, as it was called by recent Nobel-prize winner Angus Deaton, has affected countries in ways that go beyond health itself such as economic, social or demographic aspects among others. The multi-dimensional character of this process motivates the two main topics of this workshop.
The first topic concerns the measurement of human well-being during the „Great Escape‟. By looking into issues such as the interaction of health with other well-being dimensions or the advantages and disadvantages of broader measures of welfare (e.g. composite and/or anthropometric indicators), the validity and evolution of traditional and new measures of human welfare in the past will be assessed.
The second topic tackles the analysis of the causes of the „Great Escape‟ in the field of health. Abundant literature on this topic has pointed to several key factors such as income and nutrition, medicine improvements and public health initiatives, or health-related habits at the household level, but the field is still far from a consensus. This workshop will address different research strategies and their associated challenges. Emphasis will be given to going beyond correlation to investigate causation; to choosing the best-suited unit of analysis; and to specific data challenges faced when making international comparisons.
Format and organization:
The local organizers are Herman de Jong and Daniel Gallardo Albarrán. The format of the workshop consists of two lectures in the morning by invited speakers and participants‟ presentations in the afternoon. The invited speakers are Leandro Prados de la Escosura (U. Carlos III, Madrid), Bernard Harris (U. Strathclyde, Glasgow) and Eric Schneider (LSE, London).
The number of participants will be limited in order to provide a more focused setting. Each presenter will be given 35 minutes with 15 minutes for presentation and 20 for discussion. The workshop is a two-day event and all speakers are expected to participate on both days. There is no registration fee. The organizers will offer accommodation for Wednesday (one day before starting) and Thursday, dinner on Thursday and lunch on both Thursday and Friday.
Applications:
Extended abstracts (500 words) discussing the sources, methodology and main hypotheses should be sent to d.gallardo.albarran@rug.nl by May 1st, 2016. Notices of acceptance will be sent shortly after the deadline. The participation of PhD candidates and post-doctoral researchers is strongly encouraged.