Welfare, Ethnicity and Altruism: New Data and Evolutionary Theory

by Salter; Frank

• ISBN13: 9780714654270
• ISBN10: 0714654272
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-07-21
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Welfare, Ethnicity, and Altruism applies the controversial theory of 'Ethnic Nepotism', first formulated by Irenaus Eibl-Eibesfeldt and Pierre van den Berghe, to the modern welfare state (both are authors in this volume). This theory states that ethnic groups resemble large families whose members are prone to cooperate due to 'kin altruism'. Recent empirical findings in economics and political science offer confirmatory evidence. The book presents two separate studies that compare welfare expenditures around the world, both indicating that the more ethnically mixed a population becomes, the greater is its resistance to redistributive policies. A study of donations to the United Way of America charity finds that White Americans give less when their communities are more than 10 per cent non-White. Still another study, based on observations of giving to street beggars in Moscow, finds an ethnic-nepotistic effect. In a fascinating twist, cohesive regional ethnic groups such as the francophones of Quebec cansometimes leverage additional welfare from the central government. On a related theme, a global survey finds that the most generous foreign aid comes from the most homogeneous countries, and that ethnic diversity hinders economic growth in all except a small number of wealthy societies. These results point to profound inconsistencies within ideologies of both left and right regarding ethnicity. The final chapters consider policy implications. At a time of economic globalisation and mass migration, can generous and inclusive welfare be saved? Solutions and alternatives are discussed, ranging widely across: multiculturalism at state and international levels; assimilation; secession; ethnic federalism; the Swiss model; the European model; affirmative action (group rights); and strict individualist welfare. This book brings together a distinguished group of scholars: evolutionary biologists; political scientists; sociologists; anthropologists; economists; primatologists; and humanethologists, contributors examine how ethnic diversity can affect the level of welfare and cross-ethnic charitableness at both national and cross-national levels, in industrial and tribal societies. A study of meat-sharing in chimpanzees provides a cross-species comparison. This book breaks new ground in advancing our understanding of multicultural politics, ethnic competition and conflict.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The symposium target paper in broader context Frank Salter

Does Ethnic Heterogeneity Depress Public Altruism in Multi-Ethnic Societies?

Urban Begging and Ethnic Nepotism in Russia: An ethnological pilot study

Ethnic Diversity, Population Size and Charitable Giving at the Local Level in the United States

Ethnic Heterogeneity and Public Spending: Testing the evolutionary theory of ethnicity with cross-national data

An Exploratory Comparative Study of the Relationship between Ethnic Heterogeneity and Welfare Politics

Reconciling the Differences between Sanderson's and Vanhanen's Results

Welfare Broadly Defined

Ethnic Heterogeneity and Economic Growth: Ethnolinguistic diversity, government and growth

Ethnic Diversity, Foreign Aid, Economic Growth, Population Policy, Welfare, Inequality, Conflict and the Costs of Globalism: A perspective on

Explanation and Prediction: Does evolutionary theory help?

The Limits of Chimpanzee Charity: Strategies of meat sharing in communities of wild apes Linda Marchant

Selfish Cooperation, Loyalty Structures and Proto-Ethnocentrism in Intergroup Agonistic Behaviour

Canadian Welfare Policy and Ethnopolitics: Toward an evolutionary model

Why Welfare States Rise and Fall: Ethnicity, belief systems, and environmental influences on the support for public goods

Ethical and Policy Implications

Ethnicity, the Problem of Differential Altruism, and International Multiculturalism

Affirmative Action and Ethnic

The Evolutionary Deficit in Mainstream Political Theory

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