Ethnicity, reciprocity, reputation and punishment: An ethnoexperimental study of cooperation among the Chaldeans and Hmong of Detroit
Author(s):
Smith, Natalie Jill
Format:
Thesis
Degree granted:
Ph.D.
Publisher:
Ann Arbor : University of California, Los Angeles, 2001.
Pages:
305
Language:
English
Abstract:
Cooperation in large groups of non-relatives cannot be explained by theories of genetic evolution or economic models of self-interested, rational actors. Instead, a cultural explanation is needed to account for the pervasiveness of prosociality observed across human societies. A handful of underlying mechanisms may provide the foundation for most cooperative behavior in all human populations, although specific cultural characteristics influence the manifestation of these mechanisms within any given group. This research seeks to uncover the elements that maintain cooperation within ethnic communities by studying the Chaldean community in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan. A secondary study was conducted in the Hmong community, also in metropolitan Detroit, in order to explore the extent to which the means for cooperation found among the Chaldeans may be part of a cross-cultural repertoire and how the same mechanisms may take on different forms across groups. The research consisted primarily of interviews, participant observation and economic-style experiments. Based on the evidence, cooperation within ethnic groups appears to be strongly founded on four variables: (1) ethnic identity, (2) reciprocity, (3) concern with reputation, and (4) punishment. Ethnic identity is most important in defining the boundaries of cooperative behavior, with the vast majority of prosociality occurring within the ethny. The stronger a person's ethnic identity, the more likely he is to cooperate with co-ethnics. The extent to which a person cooperates with co-ethnics does not correlate (positively or negatively) with his degree of cooperation with people outside the ethnic group. Within the ethnic group, most cooperation takes the form of reciprocity. Both direct and indirect reciprocity are utilized. Once present in the community, group-beneficial behaviors are maintained by strong conformity to cooperation norms. Conformity is induced by a concern with reputation, which can be damaged by noncompliance with norms. Members of the ethnic group have long-lasting and extensive social and professional networks that make reputation important and gossip easily spread. Patterns of cooperation are impacted by cultural norms that influence the domains in which people cooperate. Variability in prosociality across contexts suggests that rather than having genes or a generalized psychology for cooperation, people acquire their cooperation rules from their culture.