“文化适应”对消费者购买行为的影响

文化是影响消费者购买行为的重要因素。本文从“文化适应”的角度研究消费者购买行为，选取语言、民族认同、文化认同以及新环境中居住时间为指标，通过Logit模型对美国西班牙裔和亚裔的四个少数民族购买民族蔬菜的行为进行了验证。结果表明，“文化适应”的语言、民族认同和文化认同指标均显著影响少数民族消费者的购买行为，其中民族认同对购买行为具有显著正影响，语言和文化认同对购买行为具有显著负影响，而在新环境中居住时间指标的影响并不显著。在此基础上，针对如何理解多民族消费者的购买行为并满足其购买需求，本文从语言、居住环境、民族认同和消费习惯等方面给出了相应的对策建议。     

Opportunistic discrimination

Are minorities more vulnerable to opportunism? We find that individuals from a minority group face greater danger of being cheated because trade with them is less frequent and the value of a reputation for fairness toward them is correspondingly smaller. When the majority is sufficiently large it can only lose from a solidarity strategy of punishing opportunism against the minority, so a firm that cheats the minority can still continue business as usual with the majority. If there is a small chance that a firm might have an implicit or preference bias against either group, then the interaction with reputational incentives gives unbiased firms an incentive to cheat the minority but not the majority. The prediction that smaller groups are more susceptible to discrimination distinguishes the model from most other discrimination models.     

Perverse committee appointments may foster divide and rule

A plurality-rule spatial committee can select an extreme decision if a bare minority of members prefer the opposite extreme decision: the majority who prefer a moderate decision are immobilised by internal divisions. Consequently, a nominator may appoint candidates with the opposite preference ordering so as to build up the bare minority. Our results may explain why Disraeli extended the franchise to skilled male workers in 1867 against centrist opposition; and why an electorate whose preferences are not polarized may have to choose between extremist candidates.     

Group decision-making in the shadow of disagreement

A model of group decision-making is studied, in which one of two alternatives must be chosen. While agents differ in their preferences over alternatives, everybody prefers agreement to disagreement. Our model is distinguished by three features: private information regarding valuations, differing intensities in preferences, and the option to declare neutrality to avoid disagreement. There is always an equilibrium in which the majority is more aggressive in pushing its alternative, thus enforcing their will via both numbers and voice. However, under general conditions an aggressive minority equilibrium inevitably makes an appearance, provided that the group is large enough. Such equilibria invariably display a “tyranny of the minority”: the increased aggression of the minority always outweighs their smaller number, leading to the minority outcome being implemented with larger probability than the majority alternative. We fully characterize the asymptotic behavior of this model as group size becomes large, and show that all equilibria must converge to one of three possible limit outcomes.     

Attitudes to Ethnic Minorities, Ethnic Context and Location Decisions

Attitudes of ethnic majority populations towards other communities is a potentially important determinant of social exclusion and welfare of ethnic minorities. The suggestion that negative attitudes towards minorities may be affected by the ethnic composition of the locality in which individuals live has often been made and empirically investigated. We point to a potential for bias in simple estimates of ethnic context effects if individual location decisions are driven partly by attitudinal factors. We also suggest an instrumental variables procedure for overcoming such bias in data with appropriate spatial information. Our results suggest that such a correction may be important.     

Social network structure,segregation, and equality in a labor market with referral hiring

We examine the effects of social network structure on inequality in a model of referral hiring that focuses on groups rather than individuals. More random social networks yield higher employment rates than less random ones if the population is integrated or job vacancy information flows are random. However less random social networks allow for better containment of job information inside a group in a segregated population with non-random job information flows, resulting in higher employment rates. We report on the robustness of these findings with respect to the size of minority and majority groups and the amount of social segregation.     

Racial Harassment,Ethnic Concentration,and Economic Conditions*

In this paper, we analyse the association between the spatial concentration of ethnic minorities and racial harassment. Ethnic concentration relates to racial harassment through at least three channels: hostility in the attitudes of majority individuals that finds expression in harassment behaviour, the probability that minority individuals meet majority individuals, and the cost of expressing hostility aggressively. Thus, harassment cannot simply be modelled as a stronger form of hostility. Using unique data for Britain, we show that, in areas of higher local ethnic concentration, experience of harassment is lower, even though hostility on the side of the majority population is not.     

The effect of religion on Muslims’ charitable contributions to members of a non‐Muslim majority

We investigate the effects of religion on charitable contributions of Muslims who are in a minority to non‐Muslims who are in a majority and to fellow Muslims. We find that religious thinking leads to significantly more charitable giving by 10%. The effect of religious thinking is dependent on the ethnic identity of the recipient. We find a significant effect on giving behavior toward relatively more privileged out‐group members (Han Chinese), but a small and generally insignificant effect toward in‐group members (fellow Muslims). With religious thinking, prosocial behavior toward out‐group members is significantly higher by 14%, which is mainly explained by the religiosity of Muslims. Our results have implications for our understanding of the influence of Islamic rules on Muslims’ attitudes and behavior toward non‐Muslims and for the design of fundraising mechanisms in Muslim communities.     

Minorities and majorities: a dynamic model of assimilation

Abstract.  The paper analyses the population dynamics of a country that has two ethnic groups, a minority and a majority, and minority members can choose to assimilate into the majority. Depending on the minority's size, the long‐run outcome can be full or no assimilation. Under certain parameter values multiple equilibria exist, including the two extreme cases. The paper demonstrates that both the long‐run outcome and the equilibrium path may be inefficient. Two extensions to the basic model are considered. The first one allows for a comparison between a multicultural and a 'melting pot' society. The second one introduces population growth and studies the interplay between exogenous and endogenous changes in the minority's size. JEL classification: J110, J150, J180     

Poverty among ethnic minorities: the transition process,inequality and economic growth

This article investigates the process of reducing poverty in ethnic minority households. Using two recent Vietnam household surveys, we find that ethnic minority households are more likely to be persistently poor and less likely to be persistently non-poor than ethnic majority households. The within-group component generated by the variation in income within each ethnicity group explains more than 90% of the change in total inequality. Income redistribution plays an important role in decreasing the poverty gap and decreasing poverty severity. Different ethnic groups have different poverty patterns, which should be noted when designing policies to alleviate poverty and inequality.     

Saving face and group identity

Are people willing to sacrifice resources to save one’s and others’ face? In a laboratory experiment, we study whether individuals forego resources to avoid the public exposure of the least performer in their group. We show that a majority of individuals are willing to pay to preserve not only their self- but also other group members’ image, even when group identity is minimal. When group identity is made more salient, individuals help regardless of whether the least performer is an in-group or an out-group. In contrast, people are less likely to sacrifice for individual strangers, showing a major role for group identity and reputation concerns within groups relative to an interpretation in terms of moral norms.     

Group status,minorities and trust

We present the results of an experiment measuring the impact of low group status and relative group size on trust, trustworthiness and discrimination. Subjects interact with insiders and outsiders in trust games and periodically enter markets where they can trade group membership. Low status and minority subjects have low morale: that is, they comparatively dislike being low status and being minority subjects. Group discrimination against low status and minority subjects is unchanged. However, low status subjects are deferential to high status subjects in terms of comparatively higher trust, and minority subjects are deferential to majority subjects in terms of comparatively higher trustworthiness.     

Income inequality among minority farmers in China: Does social capital have a role?

We used recently available household panel data collected by China's National Bureau of Statistics to examine the effects of natural, human, material, and social capital on income inequality among minority farmers in China's Xinjiang Province between 2011 and 2012. Results obtained from panel quantile regression and correlated random effects’ models show that income inequality and the poverty of ethnic farmers have been decreasing to some extent. Results also indicated that human capital exacerbates income inequality among the minorities, whereas the effect of natural capital on income inequality is not evident. Social and material capital reduce income inequality among ethnic minorities. Results from the decomposition of the Gini coefficient indicate that material and social capital contribute to a substantial majority of the income inequality in the region.     

Poverty,inequality and ethnic minorities in Vietnam

The present study examines how and why ethnic minorities are poorer than ethnic majorities in Vietnam using the Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey data for 2002 and 2004. First, the analysis confirms that households belonging to the ethnic minority groups are not only poorer but also more vulnerable to various shocks than those in the ethnic majority groups, namely the Kinh and the Chinese. Second, household composition (e.g., dependency burden), education, land holding and location are important determinants of expenditure and poverty, whilst there is some diversity among different ethnic groups. Finally, the decomposition analyses reveal that the ethnic minorities are poorer not necessarily because they have more disadvantaged household characteristics (e.g., educational attainment or location), but, more importantly, because the returns to the characteristics are much lower for ethnic minorities than for the majorities. Government policies to reduce structural differences between ethnic majorities and minorities are imperative to address the disparities in returns to endowments between them.     

A general equilibrium model of statistical discrimination

We study a general equilibrium model with endogenous human capital formation in which ex ante identical groups may be treated asymmetrically in equilibrium. The interaction between an informational externality and general equilibrium effects creates incentives for groups to specialize. Discrimination may arise even if the corresponding model with a single group has a unique equilibrium. The dominant group gains from discrimination, rationalizing why a majority may be reluctant to eliminate discrimination. The model is also consistent with “reverse discrimination” as a remedy against discrimination since it may be necessary to decrease the welfare of the dominant group to achieve parity.     

Ethnic patterns of returns to education in Bulgaria

It is widely accepted that disparities in education contribute to the poor labour market outcomes experienced by ethnic minority groups and consequently to their poverty. In this article, I analyse differential educational benefits in Bulgaria and compare returns to education for the Roma minority with the majority population and the Turkish minority. I show that both ethnic minority groups have lower education levels and employment rates than the majority population and that they also have lower returns to education. This result could be related to minorities' lower education quality as well as to discrimination in the labour market. Integration policies should thus aim to improve employability and labour market competence of vulnerable groups starting from school.     

The cost of racially equal approval rates in mortgage lending

We investigate the feasibility of one solution to the problem of persistent unequal mortgage approval rates for different ethnic groups. Previous research suggests that a trade-off exists between equal approval rates for all ethnic groups and the ability of lenders to predict loan defaults. The purpose of this investigation is to measure the decline in the ability of underwriters to estimate the probability of loan defaults associated with a modification of the traditional mortgage underwriting process to produce an equal probability of approval for all ethnic groups. The primary conclusion is that the 4.2% increase in minority approval rates required to produce equal approval rates for the majority and the minority results in 15.1% more errors in the prediction of the number of defaults.     

Minority voting and long-term decisions

In this paper we propose minority voting as a scheme that can partially protect individuals from the risk of repeated exploitation. We consider a committee that meets twice to decide about projects including a first-period project that may have long-lasting impact. In the first period, a simple open majority voting scheme takes place. Voting splits the committee into three groups: voting winners, voting losers, and absentees. Under minority voting, only voting losers retain their voting rights in the second period. We show that as soon as absolute risk aversion exceeds a threshold value, minority voting is superior to repeated application of the simple majority rule.     

Rethinking of Social Space: Generational and Ethnic Differences in Estonia

This article analyses the changes in social space, based on perceptions of individuals in a transition country, Estonia. The Marxist approach to social space is used as a theoretical framework. The article originates from the premise that the changes in individuals' conceptual ‘apparatus’ are needed for keeping up with spatial developments related to capitalism. Analysis of empirical data collected in 2008 focuses on patterns of spatial perceptions of three generations of the two main ethno-linguistic groups in Estonia, the Estonian ethnic majority and the Russian-speaking minority. The results show perception of space is significantly correlated with indices of everyday social and cultural practices and individual wealth and reveal the geographical and ideological division of the world as seen by the inhabitants of a transition country. The article suggests transition has caused spatial disruption particularly amongst the ethnic minority. Increasing ethnic differences from one generation to another infers increasing societal inequality. The quid pro quo relationship between geopolitical changes and economic transition at the individual level is consequently more clearly defined.     

加强地方文化立法促进新疆和谐发展

建设和谐社会,离不开文化的和谐。新疆这个多元民族文化聚集的地区要达到和谐发展的目标,文化所起的作用不容忽视。但是当前新疆民族民间文化的保护现状令人担忧,出现了诸如传统文化后继无人、独特的民族习俗消亡等不和谐因素。解决这一问题,就要借鉴国内外保护民族民间文化的宝贵经验,加强新疆地方文化立法。