Identity Economics 2016: Where Do Social Distinctions and Norms Come From?
- (pp. 405-09)
Abstract
Identity economics provides a framework to analyze economic outcomes by establishing people's identities--not just pecuniary incentives--as primary motivations for choice. The heart of the framework is social difference and norms. This paper engages the emerging economic research into sources of divisions and norms: individuals, families, schools, governments, and social movements. The task at hand is to further to develop the micro-foundations of identity, in order to build a socially framed understandings of human motivation that will yield more robust accounts of behavior and institutions and yet better predictions of the implications of policy.Citation
Kranton, Rachel E. 2016. "Identity Economics 2016: Where Do Social Distinctions and Norms Come From?" American Economic Review, 106 (5): 405-09. DOI: 10.1257/aer.p20161038Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D11 Consumer Economics: Theory
- D71 Social Choice; Clubs; Committees; Associations
- Z13 Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification