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Identity-driven Cooperation versus Competition

Author

Listed:
  • Steven J. Bosworth
  • Dennis J. Snower

Abstract

This paper seeks to extend the domain of identity economics by exploring motivational foundations of in-group cooperation and out-group competition. On this basis, we explore the reflexive interaction between individual economic decisions and social identities in response to technological change in market economies. Our analysis explores how technological change falling on marketable goods and services, rather than nonmarket caring relationships, leads to a restructuring of identities, which increases the scope of individualism and promotes positional competition at the expense of caring activities. Since positional competition generates negative externalities while caring activities create positive ones, these developments have important welfare implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Steven J. Bosworth & Dennis J. Snower, 2016. "Identity-driven Cooperation versus Competition," Working Papers id:9909, eSocialSciences.
  • Handle: RePEc:ess:wpaper:id:9909
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Grosch, Kerstin & Ibañez, Marcela & Viceisza, Angelino, 2022. "Competition and prosociality: A lab-in-the-field experiment in Ghana," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    2. Fleurbaey, Marc & Kanbur, Ravi & Viney, Brody, "undated". "Social Externalities and Economic Analysis," Applied Economics and Policy Working Paper Series 309990, Cornell University, Department of Applied Economics and Management.
    3. Jiabin Wu, 2021. "Stochastic Value Formation," Dynamic Games and Applications, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 597-611, September.
    4. Marc Fleurbaey & Ravi Kanbur & Dennis Snower, 2025. "Efficiency and equity in a socially-embedded economy," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 79(1), pages 1-56, February.
    5. Colin Jennings & Elizabeth Ralph-Morrow, 2020. "Selective tolerance and the radical right," Rationality and Society, , vol. 32(2), pages 144-167, May.
    6. Fleurbaey, Marc & Kanbur, Ravi & Snower, Dennis, "undated". "Efficiency and Equity in a Society-Economy Integrated Model," Working Papers 313754, Cornell University, Department of Applied Economics and Management.
    7. Carvalho, Jean-Paul & Pradelski, Bary SR, 2022. "Identity and underrepresentation: Interactions between race and gender," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    8. Dennis J. Snower & Steven J. Bosworth, 2016. "Identity-Driven Cooperation versus Competition," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 106(5), pages 420-424, May.
    9. Fleurbaey, Marc & Kanbur, Ravi & Viney, Brody, 2020. "Social Externalities and Economic Analysis," Working Papers 309990, Cornell University, Department of Applied Economics and Management.
    10. Marcus Dittrich & Bianka Mey, 2023. "Voluntary labour supply by birth cohort: empirical evidence from Germany," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 50(2), pages 389-410, May.
    11. Snower, Dennis J. & Bosworth, Steven J., 2021. "Economic, social and political fragmentation: Linking knowledge-biased growth, identity, populism and protectionism," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    12. ,, 2019. "The Interplay of Economic, Social and Political Fragmentation," CEPR Discussion Papers 14111, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    13. Schütt, Christoph A., 2023. "The effect of perceived similarity and social proximity on the formation of prosocial preferences," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    14. Steven Jacob Bosworth & Dennis J. Snower, 2019. "The interplay of economic, social and political fragmentation," Economics Discussion Papers em-dp2019-17, Department of Economics, University of Reading.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • A13 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Social Values
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities
    • D71 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Social Choice; Clubs; Committees; Associations
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General

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