A unique analysis of the moral and social dimensions of microeconomic behaviour in developing countries, this book calls into question standard notions of rationality and many of the assumptions of neo-classical economics, and shows how these are inappropriate in communities with widespread disparity in incomes. This book will prove to be essential for students studying development economics.
Introduction. Part 1: The Social Economics of Poverty. A Theory of Identity. Foundations of Polarization Measurement. The Evolution of Inequality. A Simple Theory of the Extended Family System and Market Barriers to the Poor. The Macrodynamics of Social Control. Social Networks in Ghana. Part2: The Economic Impact of Identity and Community. Bridging Communal Divides: Separation, Patronage, Integration. Social Divisions Within Schools: How School Policies can Affect Students' Identities and Educational Choices. Coping with Disaster: The Role of Moral Norms in Honduran Communities Devastated by Hurricane Mitch. Ethnicity and Networks in African Trade. The Evolution of Land Inheritance Rules. Under the Pressures of Population. Growth and Market Integration: A Case Study of Peruvian Indians.