语言、制度与后殖民地的增长分岔:一个可能机制的探讨

Language,institution and the growth diversion of the post-colonies:A possible mechanism

国家和地区之间经济发展差异一直以来都是宏观经济领域的核心研究问题之一。实证考察其长期差异的决定性因素,又是当前包括经济学领域在内诸多社会科学共同关注的一个活跃研究方向,而从中考察宗主国和殖民地语言之间的差异在后殖民地长期经济发展分岔中的影响是新兴的研究视角,既有的研究在这方面的涉及极少。语言因素投射到后殖民地国家的增长分岔上的作用主要体现在以下几个方面:语言能力是一种人力资本,语言交往网络是一种社会网络和社会资本,差异较大的语言距离,意味着进入先进的技术、知识和管理的成本较大;语言是一种公共物品,承载着知识传播和文化传递;语言是一种密切联系于文化信念、元制度、非正规制度的制度符号。本文在梳理和综述既有相关研究文献基础之上,聚焦国别发展差异的殖民地起源,了解和认识其中宗主国——殖民地之间语言差距的影响。

The difference of economic development between different countries and regions has always been the core research issue in the field of macroeconomics.The determinant factor of the empirical study of the long-term differences is a hot topic in social sciences,including economics.The linguistic difference between colonial countries concerning the long-term economic development in the post-colonial period is a new research perspective,and there are few studies in this area.The role of language factor in the growth of the colonial countries projected to the bifurcation of the post is mainly reflected in the following aspects:language ability is a kind of human capital,communication network is a kind of social network and social capital,and a great difference in language distance means costly access to the advanced technology,knowledge and management;language is kind of public goods playing the role of disseminating knowledge and cultural transfer;language is a symbol system closely linked with cultural beliefs,the metasystem and informal institutions.On the basis of reviewing the relevant research literature,this paper focuses on the colonial origin concerning the differences in the development of different countries,and the influence of the language gap among the colonized countries.