Economic comparison and group identity: lessons from India

Type Working Paper - PSE Working Papers from HAL
Title Economic comparison and group identity: lessons from India
Author(s)
Volume hal-00711212, version 2
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2012
URL http://hal-pse.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/72/36/97/PDF/Fontaine_Yamada12.pdf
Abstract
The caste issue dominates a large part of India's social and political life. Caste shapes one's identity. Furthermore, strong tensions exist between castes. Using subjective well-being data, we assess the role economic comparisons play in this society. We focus on both within and between-castes comparisons. Within-caste comparisons appear to reduce well-being. Comparisons between rival castes are found to decrease well-being three times more. We link these results to two models in which economic comparison triggers the actual caste-based behaviours (castes' political demands, discrimination).

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