"We Thinking" and Its Consequences

Robert Akerlof

American Economic Review, 2016, vol. 106, issue 5, 415-19

Abstract: Increasingly, economists are drawing on concepts from outside economics--such as "norms," "esteem," and "identity"--to model agents' social natures. A key reason for studying such social motivation is to shed light on the conditions that facilitate--or deter--collective action. It has been widely observed, for instance, that groups are more able to engage in collective action when they have a common, group identity. This paper gives one explanation for such a link. The paper develops a new concept, "we thinking"; and it also provides a deeper understanding of the concepts of norms, identity, and esteem.

JEL-codes: D11 D71 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
Note: DOI: 10.1257/aer.p20161040
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (17)

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