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Croissance et statut social
[Growth and social status]

Author

Listed:
  • Jellal, Mohamed
  • Rajhi, Taoufik

Abstract

In this paper we present a model of economic growth where agents are characterized by social status concern behaviour. With respect to the literature, we show that social status seeking is not always desirable for economic growth. Specially, we prove that the impact of status seeking on growth is positive only when saving is low or when the productivity of capital is low. In these two cases, the norm of social status seeking may be seen as a social incentive mechanism leading to wealth accumulation. These theoretical results are quite general and they do not depend on the functional forms assumed in the model

Suggested Citation

  • Jellal, Mohamed & Rajhi, Taoufik, 2003. "Croissance et statut social [Growth and social status]," MPRA Paper 38418, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:38418
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Romer, Paul M, 1986. "Increasing Returns and Long-run Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(5), pages 1002-1037, October.
    2. Michael J. Boskin & Eytan Sheshinski, 1978. "Optimal Redistributive Taxation When Individual Welfare Depends upon Relative Income," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 92(4), pages 589-601.
    3. Fershtman, Chaim & Murphy, Kevin M & Weiss, Yoram, 1996. "Social Status, Education, and Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 104(1), pages 108-132, February.
    4. Clark, Andrew E. & Oswald, Andrew J., 1996. "Satisfaction and comparison income," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 359-381, September.
    5. Layard, Richard, 1980. "Human Satisfactions and Public Policy," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 90(363), pages 737-750, December.
    6. Lucas, Robert Jr., 1988. "On the mechanics of economic development," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 3-42, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jellal, Mohamed, 2014. "L'esprit du capitalisme capital étranger et développement [The spirit of capitalism foreign capital and economic development]," MPRA Paper 57777, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Jellal, Mohamed, 2014. "Culture values and economic growth," MPRA Paper 57178, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Nguyen-Van, Phu & Pham, Thi Kim Cuong, 2013. "Endogenous fiscal policies, environmental quality, and status-seeking behavior," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 32-40.
    4. Thi Kim Cuong PHAM, 2004. "Wealth distribution, endogenous fiscal policy and growth: status-seeking implications," Working Papers of BETA 2004-11, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    5. Pham, Thi Kim Cuong, 2005. "Economic growth and status-seeking through personal wealth," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 407-427, June.
    6. Jellal, Mohamed, 2012. "Beliefs incentives and economic growth," MPRA Paper 39157, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • O43 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Institutions and Growth
    • D9 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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