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The humanizing effect of market interaction

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  • Harris, Colin
  • Myers, Andrew
  • Kaiser, Adam

Abstract

The quality and quantity of intergroup contact affects how outgroups are perceived. Positive interaction tends to have a humanizing effect of moral inclusion. Negative interaction instead tends towards dehumanization and moral exclusion. One avenue of intergroup contact that has been empirically underexplored is interaction in a market. Do markets generate moral sympathy, or do they allow us to ignore or deny the moral status of others? We create a measure of moral sentiment that captures the frequency, valence, and type of moral language used about an outgroup. We match our novel sentiment data to dyadic measures of market interaction to test if markets act as a (de)humanizing force. We find a positive relationship between market interaction and the use of (1) moral, (2) virtuous (but not vice), (3) bridging, and (4) bonding language to talk about a contacted outgroup. Our results suggest market interaction has a humanizing effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Harris, Colin & Myers, Andrew & Kaiser, Adam, 2023. "The humanizing effect of market interaction," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 489-507.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:205:y:2023:i:c:p:489-507
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2022.11.028
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Humanization; Dehumanization; Intergroup contact; Market interaction; Moral sentiment; Text analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F60 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - General
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • P17 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Performance and Prospects
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics

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