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Lifeboat ethics versus corporate ethics - social and demographic implications of stem and joint families

Monica Das Gupta ()

No 2127, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: The author distinguishes the lifeboat ethic of Northern Europe's stem family system from the corporate ethic of North India's joint family system, which has much in common with that of China. She contrasts these family systems to show how norms of residence and inheritance: a) Profoundly influence our values and social constructs. b) Shape patterns of conflict and cooperation between people, thus influencing many basic aspects of social organization and behavior. c) Influence health outcomes by categorizing people according to whether their health is promoted or allowed to fail. d) Shape a wide range of other development outcomes, including migration, strategies of household resource management, ways of exploiting commercial opportunities, and the operation of civil society. The author develops a number of hypotheses about the nature of these relationships. Some of these are substantiated quantitatively, and others can be tested empirically.

Keywords: Population&Development; Social Inclusion&Institutions; Health Monitoring&Evaluation; Education and Society; Public Health Promotion; Health Monitoring&Evaluation; Population&Development; Education and Society; Agricultural Knowledge&Information Systems; Anthropology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1999-05-31
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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