On the Arbitrariness of Consumption

John Whalley () and Shunming Zhang ()

No CESifo Working Paper No. 2566, CESifo Working Paper Series from CESifo Group Munich

Abstract: We discuss a simple model of choices of joint consumption by a working couple who place maintenance of their marriage (relationship) above all else. Any proposal made by one partner seeking to provide maximal utility to the other so as to preserve the marriage, in the case where preferences of partners are unknown, will be accepted. In this sense consumption is arbitrary. In a concluding section we suggest that while overly simple; this structure may characterize to some degree significant amounts of observed consumption, emphasing how social arrangements and the value placed on them by individuals can impact on observed economic behaviour.

Keywords: values; preferences; lexicographic; relationship; partners (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A10 A12 A13 C50 D01 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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