TY - JOUR

T1 - Social identity and social free-riding

AU - Bernard, Mark

AU - Hett, Florian

AU - Mechtel, Mario

PY - 2016/11/1

Y1 - 2016/11/1

N2 - We model individual identification choice as a strategic group formation problem. When choosing a social group to identify with, individuals appreciate high social status and a group stereotype to which they have a small social distance. A group׳s social status and stereotype are shaped by the (exogenous) individual attributes of its members and hence endogenous to individuals׳ choices. Unless disutility from social distance is strong enough, this creates a strategic tension as individuals with attributes that contribute little to group status would like to join high-status groups, thereby diluting the latters׳ status and changing stereotypes. Such social free-riding motivates the use of soft exclusion technologies in high-status groups, which provides a unifying rationale for phenomena such as hazing rituals, charitable activities or status symbols that is not taste-based or follows a standard signaling mechanism.

AB - We model individual identification choice as a strategic group formation problem. When choosing a social group to identify with, individuals appreciate high social status and a group stereotype to which they have a small social distance. A group׳s social status and stereotype are shaped by the (exogenous) individual attributes of its members and hence endogenous to individuals׳ choices. Unless disutility from social distance is strong enough, this creates a strategic tension as individuals with attributes that contribute little to group status would like to join high-status groups, thereby diluting the latters׳ status and changing stereotypes. Such social free-riding motivates the use of soft exclusion technologies in high-status groups, which provides a unifying rationale for phenomena such as hazing rituals, charitable activities or status symbols that is not taste-based or follows a standard signaling mechanism.

KW - Sociology

KW - Social identity

KW - Social status

KW - Social distance

KW - Group formation

KW - Categorization

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84996848396&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2016.01.001

DO - 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2016.01.001

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:84996848396

VL - 90

SP - 4

EP - 17

JO - European Economic Review

JF - European Economic Review

SN - 0014-2921

ER -