Social Background, Cooperative Behavior, and Norm Enforcement
Studies have shown that there are differences in cooperative behavior across countries. Furthermore, differences in the use of and the reaction to the introduction of a norm enforcement mechanism have recently been documented in cross-cultural studies. We present data that prove that stark differences in both dimensions can exist even within the same town. For this end, we created a unique data set, based on one-shot public goods experiments conducted in South Africa. Most of our group differences can be explained by variables accounting for social capital and social environment, such as trust or household violence.
Authors
Martin Kocher
Peter Martinsson
Martine Visser