In this session, the development of the human body worldwide during the 20th century will be studied. The 20th century has not received as many anthropometric studies as earlier centuries, even though change in heights and weights were more dramatic than in any other period. Moreover, a large number of important developments affected the human body including, among others, fertility transition, improved knowledge of disease and public wealth, waves of globalization and deglobalization, and the devastation wrought by terrible wars. Civil wars during the later 20th century, for example, had profound effects on the evolution of human stature development in Africa. Another influence was the “Great Levelling” or reduction in inequality within some countries during the early 20th century followed by strongly resurgent inequality at the end of the century. Delays in the diffusion of medical and hygienic technologies, by themselves, created inequalities in health across populations in different parts of the world.
The studies in this session take advantage of the relatively good data available for many countries in the 20th century. All contributors check carefully for selectivity issues socially, institutionally and regionally. New evidence is presented for large number of countries and regions including, for example, the various parts of the British Empire, are studied, various African countries and the southern corn of the Latin America. The Asian giants are analyzed with a deep regional focus on Indonesia, India and China. All this integrates into an image of global welfare development that complements purchasing power-based approaches, and helps to understand the divergence processes that took place in some of the world regions.

* the individuals below identified with an asterisk plan to be present for the discussions in Boston.

Subsection 1: New evidence and case studies

“Neonatal conditions and Maternal transfer of health in early 20th century Barcelona”, Gregori Galofré-Vilà* (University of Bocconi/Italy and University of Oxford/UK) and Bernard Harris* (University of Strathclyde/UK).

“THE ROOTS OF REGIONAL WELFARE: FROM URBANIZATION AND SCHOOLING TO PORTUGUESE HEIGHT GROWTH, 1924-1950”, Adam Brzezinski (University of Oxford/UK), Nuno Palma* (University of Manchester/UK)

“Heights in Brazil 1880s-1930s”, Daniel W Franken* (University of California at LA, USA)

“The big growth spurt in Extremadura: economic takeoff and physical development in the Southwest of Spain during the 20th century”, Antonio M. Linares-Luján (Univ. Extremadura/Spain) and Francisco M. Parejo-Moruno* (Univ. Extremadura/Spain)

“Height in twentieth century Chilean men: growth with divergence”, Manuel Llorca-Jaña* (Universidad de Santiago de Chile/Chile), Juan Navarrete-Montalvo* (Universidad de Santiago de Chile/Chile), Roberto Araya, and Federico Droller

The long arm of colonialism: the decline and rise of Māori stature 1775-1975”, Kris Inwood* (Univ of Guelph/Canada), Les Oxley* (University of Waikato/New Zealand) and Evan Roberts* (University of Minnesota)

“The height of apartheid: white living standards in South Africa before democracy”, Kris Inwood* ((Univ of Guelph/Canada), Johan Fourie* (Stellenbosch Univ.) and Martine Mariotti* (Australian National Univ./Australia)

“Socioeconomic determinants of height in South Korea””, Daniel Jong Schwekendiek* (Sungkyunkwan University/Korea)

“Ethnicity, Region and Nutritional Disparities in China, 1985-2014” Stephen Morgan* (U Nottingham/Ningbo, UK and China)

Subsection 2: Broad patterns

“Height inequality and life expectancy in Africa and Asia from 1820 to 2000”, Lisa Martin* (Oxford Univ./Tübingen Univ., UK/Germany)

“The assessment of the association between living conditions and trends in generational sexual size dimorphism: the case of 20th-century Europe”, Antonio D. Cámara* (University of Jaen/Spain) and José Miguel Martínez-Carrión (University of Murcia/Spain)

“Height and Enamel Hypoplasia: Measuring gender equality in the 20th century” Laura Maravall* (Univ. Tuebingen/Germany) and Joerg Baten* (Univ. Tuebingen/Germany, CESifo/Germany and CEPR/UK)