scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question
Posted Content

Participation in Heterogeneous Communities

01 Jun 1999-Research Papers in Economics (Harvard University Department of Economics)-
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors studied what determines group formation and the degree of participation when the population is heterogeneous, both in terms of income and race or ethnicity, and found that those individuals who express views against racial mixing are less prone to participate in groups the more racially heterogeneous their community is.
Abstract: This paper studies what determines group formation and the degree of participation when the population is heterogeneous, both in terms of income and race or ethnicity We are especially interested in whether and how much the degree of heterogeneity in communities influences the amount of participation in different types of groups Using survey data on group membership and data on U S localities, we find that, after controlling for many individual characteristics, participation in social activities is significantly lower in more unequal and in more racially or ethnically fragmented localities We also find that those individuals who express views against racial mixing are less prone to participate in groups the more racially heterogeneous their community is These results are consistent with our model of group formation
Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors found that in ethnically diverse neighbourhoods residents of all races tend to "hunker down" and trust (even of one's own race) is lower, altruism and community cooperation rarer, friends fewer.
Abstract: Ethnic diversity is increasing in most advanced countries, driven mostly by sharp increases in immigration. In the long run immigration and diversity are likely to have important cultural, economic, fiscal, and developmental benefits. In the short run, however, immigration and ethnic diversity tend to reduce social solidarity and social capital. New evidence from the US suggests that in ethnically diverse neighbourhoods residents of all races tend to ‘hunker down’. Trust (even of one's own race) is lower, altruism and community cooperation rarer, friends fewer. In the long run, however, successful immigrant societies have overcome such fragmentation by creating new, cross-cutting forms of social solidarity and more encompassing identities. Illustrations of becoming comfortable with diversity are drawn from the US military, religious institutions, and earlier waves of American immigration.

3,466 citations

Posted Content
TL;DR: The authors found that the strongest factors associated with low trust are: i) a recent history of traumatic experiences; ii) belonging to a group that historically felt discriminated against, such as minorities (blacks in particular) and women; iii) being economically unsuccessful in terms of income and education; iv) living in a racially mixed community and/or in one with a high degree of income disparity.
Abstract: Both individual experiences and community characteristics influence how much people trust each other. Using individual level data drawn from US localities we find that the strongest factors associated with low trust are: i) a recent history of traumatic experiences; ii) belonging to a group that historically felt discriminated against, such as minorities (blacks in particular) and, to a lesser extent, women; iii) being economically unsuccessful in terms of income and education; iv) living in a racially mixed community and/or in one with a high degree of income disparity. Religious beliefs and ethnic origins do not significantly affect trust. The role of racial cleavages leading to low trust is confirmed when we explicitly account for individual preferences on inter-racial relationships: within the same community, individuals who express stronger feelings against racial integration trust relatively less the more racially heterogeneous the community is.

1,940 citations


Cites background or methods from "Participation in Heterogeneous Comm..."

  • ...Alberto Alesina and Eliana La Ferrara PUBLIC POLICY ISSN 0265-8003...

    [...]

  • ...As we discuss below one has to be cautious in over interpreting …ndings based upon a survey question that may be understood di¤erently by various respondents, as pointed out by Glaeser et al (2000)....

    [...]

  • ...Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of the Centre for Economic Policy Research....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors survey and assess the literature on the positive and negative effects of ethnic diversity on economic policies and outcomes and highlight several open issues in need of further research.
Abstract: We survey and assess the literature on the positive and negative effects of ethnic diversity on economic policies and outcomes. Our focus is on both focus both cities in developed countries (the US) and villages in developing countries. We also consider the endogenous formation of political jurisdictions and we highlight several open issues in need of further research.

1,782 citations


Cites background from "Participation in Heterogeneous Comm..."

  • ...Having established such microfoundations, we then move to analyze the impact of diversity on policies and productivity through a simple reduced-form model....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors studied the degree of heterogeneity in communities and found that participants who expressed views against racial mixing are less likely to participate in groups the more racially heterogeneous their community is.
Abstract: This paper studies what determines group formation and the degree of participation when the population is heterogeneous, both in terms of income and race or ethnicity. We are especially interested in whether and how much the degree of heterogeneity in communities influences the amount of participation in different types of groups. Using survey data on group membership and data on U. S. localities, we find that, after controlling for many individual characteristics, participation in social activities is significantly lower in more unequal and in more racially or ethnically fragmented localities. We also find that those individuals who express views against racial mixing are less prone to participate in groups the more racially heterogeneous their community is. These results are consistent with our model of group formation.

1,465 citations

Posted Content
TL;DR: The authors argue that community governance addresses some common market and state failures but typically relies on insider-outsider distinctions that may be morally repugnant and economically costly, and the individual motivations supporting community governance are not captured by either selfishness or altruism.
Abstract: Community governance is the set of small group social interactions that, with market and state, determine economic outcomes. We argue (i) community governance addresses some common market and state failures but typically relies on insider-outsider distinctions that may be morally repugnant and economically costly; (ii) the individual motivations supporting community governance are not captured by either selfishness or altruism; (iii) communities, markets and states are complements, not substitutes; (iv) when poorly designed, markets and states crowd out communities; (v) some distributions of property rights are better than others at fostering community governance; and (vi) communities will probably increase in importance in the future.

1,310 citations

References
More filters
01 Jan 1988
Abstract: This paper considers the prospects for constructing a neoclassical theory of growth and international trade that is consistent with some of the main features of economic development. Three models are considered and compared to evidence: a model emphasizing physical capital accumulation and technological change, a model emphasizing human capital accumulation through schooling, and a model emphasizing specialized human capital accumulation through learning-by-doing.

19,093 citations


"Participation in Heterogeneous Comm..." refers background in this paper

  • ...On the effects of positive spillovers in the transmission of human capital, see Romer [1986], Lucas [1988J, and Benabou [19961. On trust see La Porta et al [19971. 4. For theoretical work on the effects of transmission of information in group and informational cascades, see, for instance. Banerjee [19921 and Ellison and Fudenberg 11995]. An early empirical contribution on the importance of networks is Case and Katz [1991]. 5. See Verba and Nie [1987] and Verba, Schlozman, and Brady [1995]. 6. Even though participation is typically associated witb "positive" socioeconomic outcomes, social networks may also transmit "negative" norms. For example, the so-called "culture of poverty and welfare" may find its roots in social networks propagating incentives to search for welfare rather than vifork. See, in particular, Cutler and Glaeser [1997[ and Bertrand, Luttmer, and Mullainathan [2000] for recent empirical work on this important question....

    [...]

  • ...On the effects of positive spillovers in the transmission of human capital, see Romer [1986], Lucas [1988J, and Benabou [19961. On trust see La Porta et al [19971. 4. For theoretical work on the effects of transmission of information in group and informational cascades, see, for instance. Banerjee [19921 and Ellison and Fudenberg 11995]. An early empirical contribution on the importance of networks is Case and Katz [1991]. 5....

    [...]

  • ...On the effects of positive spillovers in the transmission of human capital, see Romer [1986], Lucas [1988J, and Benabou [19961. On trust see La Porta et al [19971. 4. For theoretical work on the effects of transmission of information in group and informational cascades, see, for instance. Banerjee [19921 and Ellison and Fudenberg 11995]. An early empirical contribution on the importance of networks is Case and Katz [1991]. 5. See Verba and Nie [1987] and Verba, Schlozman, and Brady [1995]....

    [...]

  • ...On the effects of positive spillovers in the transmission of human capital, see Romer [1986], Lucas [1988J, and Benabou [19961. On trust see La Porta et al [19971. 4. For theoretical work on the effects of transmission of information in group and informational cascades, see, for instance. Banerjee [19921 and Ellison and Fudenberg 11995]. An early empirical contribution on the importance of networks is Case and Katz [1991]. 5. See Verba and Nie [1987] and Verba, Schlozman, and Brady [1995]. 6....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a fully specified model of long-run growth in which knowledge is assumed to be an input in production that has increasing marginal productivity, which is essentially a competitive equilibrium model with endogenous technological change.
Abstract: This paper presents a fully specified model of long-run growth in which knowledge is assumed to be an input in production that has increasing marginal productivity. It is essentially a competitive equilibrium model with endogenous technological change. In contrast to models based on diminishing returns, growth rates can be increasing over time, the effects of small disturbances can be amplified by the actions of private agents, and large countries may always grow faster than small countries. Long-run evidence is offered in support of the empirical relevance of these possibilities.

18,200 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: The Johns Hopkins University Press is committed to respecting the needs of scholars as discussed by the authors, and return of that respect is requested. But no copies of the below work may be distributed electronically, in whole or in part, outside of their campus network without express permission (permissions@muse.jhu.edu).
Abstract: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/DETOC/assoc/bowling.html 5/28/2012 Copyright © 1995 The National Endowment for Democracy and The Johns Hopkins University Press. Registered users of a subscribed campus network may download, archive, and print as many copies of this work as desired for use within the subscribed institution as long as this header is not removed -no copies of the below work may be distributed electronically, in whole or in part, outside of your campus network without express permission (permissions@muse.jhu.edu). Contact your institution's library to discuss your rights and responsibilities within Project Muse, or send email to copyright@muse.jhu.edu. The Johns Hopkins University Press is committed to respecting the needs of scholars -return of that respect is requested.

10,462 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wilson's "The Truly Disadvantaged" as mentioned in this paper was one of the sixteen best books of 1987 and won the 1988 C. Wright Mills Award of the Society for the Study of Social Problems.
Abstract: ""The Truly Disadvantaged" should spur critical thinking in many quarters about the causes and possible remedies for inner city poverty. As policy makers grapple with the problems of an enlarged underclass they--as well as community leaders and all concerned Americans of all races--would be advised to examine Mr. Wilson's incisive analysis."--Robert Greenstein, "New York Times Book Review" "'Must reading' for civil-rights leaders, leaders of advocacy organizations for the poor, and for elected officials in our major urban centers."--Bernard C. Watson, "Journal of Negro Education" "Required reading for anyone, presidential candidate or private citizen, who really wants to address the growing plight of the black urban underclass."--David J. Garrow, "Washington Post Book World" Selected by the editors of the "New York Times Book Review" as one of the sixteen best books of 1987. Winner of the 1988 C. Wright Mills Award of the Society for the Study of Social Problems.

7,278 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used indicators of trust and civic norms from the World Values Surveys for a sample of 29 market economies and found that membership in formal groups is not associated with trust or with improved economic performance.
Abstract: This paper presents evidence that "social capital" matters for measurable economic performance, using indicators of trust and civic norms from the World Values Surveys for a sample of 29 market economies. Memberships in formal groups—Putnam's measure of social capital—is not associated with trust or with improved economic performance. We find trust and civic norms are stronger in nations with higher and more equal incomes, with institutions that restrain predatory actions of chief executives, and with better-educated and ethnically homogeneous populations.

6,894 citations