Altruism and Beyond: An Economic Analysis of Transfers and Exchanges within Families and Groups

by Oded Stark

Overview

How do altruistic links affect allocative behavior and wellbeing? Can the processes of transmission and probable acquisition of parental traits result in a stable equilibrium where all agents are altruists? Why do children furnish their parents with attention and care? Does the timing of the intergenerational transfer of the family's productive asset affect the recipient's incentive to acquire human capital? Why do migrants remit? Altruism and Beyond provides answers to these and related questions. In addition, it traces some of the market repercussions of the intrafamilial, intergenerational, and intragroup transfers and exchanges that it models.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521663731
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	10/07/1999
Series:	Oscar Morgenstern Memorial Lectures
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	156
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.50(d)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction; 2. Altruism, transfers, and wellbeing; 3. The timing of intergenerational transfers: an implication; 4. An exchange implication of transfers: the demonstration effect; 5. Transfers by migrants: a strategic motive for remittances; 6. Exchange with recognition costs: an explanation of migrants' performance; 7. Intrafamilial transfers and exchanges: forming and sustaining altruism.

Editorial Reviews

"An important contribution....A think-piece about work in progress on the frontiers of transfer theory....[Stark] is remarkably good at pinning down the predictions of his models and checking them against the evidence." The Economic Journal

"Interesting...intriguing...a source of inspiration. This book extends our understanding of the nature and consequences of non-market transfers among economic agents. Readers looking for stimulating ideas on these topics will find much here to think about." Journal of Economic Literature

"Oded Stark has been a pioneer in studies of both population and altruistic behavior. In these essays, he develops further economic and demographic implications of altruism, particularly within the family. He shows the major insights that can be obtained from these considerations." Kenneth J. Arrow, Stanford University

"Oded Stark's acclaimed insights into the behavior of migrants are here broadened and deepened into an illuminating economic analysis of intra-familial and inter-generational transfers and exchanges. An exciting contribution to the growing field of social economics, and beyond." Jacob Mincer, Columbia University

From the Publisher