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How does socio-economic environment influence the distribution of altruism?

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  • Hideaki Goto

    (International University of Japan)

Abstract

This paper analyzes how socio-economic environment affects the extent of individual altruism and its distribution within a society. We show that if the socio-economic institution that structures interactions between individuals can be represented by a supermodular game, individuals tend to become more homogeneous in terms of altruism as spillover effects increase. This implies that people living close to one another and engaging in joint production, such as irrigation agriculture in a rural village, are more likely to exhibit similar levels of altruism than those living apart and engaging in more or less independent work.

Suggested Citation

  • Hideaki Goto, 2017. "How does socio-economic environment influence the distribution of altruism?," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 82(1), pages 93-116, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:theord:v:82:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s11238-016-9558-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s11238-016-9558-8
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