An Experimental Study of Kin and Ethnic Favoritism

Introduction

The article examines how behavior among kinship ties, strangers, and ethnic ties are catalysts for corruption. There is a common assumption that corruption arises from the preference of people to their own people against outsiders. Recent research has cast doubt on the assumption of associating ethnicity or kinship to corruption; shared ethnicity does not entirely imply shared values. Hence, there is a weak relationship between ethnicity and corruption. However, theoretical reasons exist to link or suspect kinship with favoritism.

The biological theory provides convincing reasons why people tend to favor their own kin. First, the idea of a genetic association between people provides incentives, which support favoritism. The argument is based on the biological notions of kin selection and inclusive fitness implying that relatives with similar genes may incur costs to favor one another. Biological theory indicates that shared ethnicity is not sufficient to foster corruption partly helping to dismiss shared ethnicity as the major source of favoritism. Whereas the theoretical framework may not be familiar to the economists, the biologically based approach has shared similarities with the best economic theory.

Through experiments, the study improves the understanding of the relationship between ethnic favoritism and the role of kin. The study is based on three countries with a sample of 1251 subjects (Akbari et al. 3). The game involves giving a bribe, receiving a bribe and incurring the cost of the bribe at the expense of another player. According to the findings from the three studies, people should consider several other issues, which are different across countries when trying to interpret results. For example, Canada, a highly developed country and famous for its multicultural society register the lowest corruption while Iran, on the other hand, is a developing country, famous for the frequent ethnic conflicts and registers the highest rate of corruption. In the second study, the study runs two other extra boundaries and probe.

The experiments have managed to offer insight into the causes of corruption. The studies have concluded that kin favor one another hence significant ties of favoritism, incentives are essential in increasing relatedness, and corruption levels relate to the country of origin.

Research Question

To examine how behavior among kinship ties, strangers and ethnic ties are catalysts for corruption.

Research Method

The study has employed the quantitative research methodology. Quantitative research involves the gathering of numerical data, which in turn is measured, categorized, and interpreted using statistical analysis. The methods are useful in uncovering patterns or even relationships to generalize the findings. Some of the quantitative tools used for research include questionnaires, experiments, document screening, and observation. The article has used experiments to uncover patterns and relationships between kinship ties, strangers, and ethnic ties as catalysts for corruption. The methodology also aims at making generalizations based on the results of the study.

The Model that is Used in this Research Paper

The research employs a model based on existing and earlier theory. The model uses a working hypothesis to develop a research method. The existing of a tentative model helps in the selection of the logical structure of the research and planning. The model will help decide on the type and number of material to be collected, the cases, or specimens to be used and the attributes of the cases. The article has conducted research relying on the existing theories on the role of kinship ties, strangers, and ethnic ties as catalysts of favoritism and corruption. Through the approaches, the writer has been able to identify the type of experiment and the number of subjects and attributes of the case.

The Result of this Research

The research finds out that kin favoritism is often overlooked as the mechanism for fostering corruption. The study’s three experiments aid in concluding. Study 1 compares evidence in study one between Canada and Iran towards establishing behavior among kinship ties, strangers, and ethnic ties are catalysts for corruption. Study 2 on the other hand, compares two Ecuadorian societies to inspect the role of in-groups and in-marriages in kinship. Study 1 points out that kin favoritism is common in the countries under study, and despite the same degree of ethnic fractionalization there exist evidence of ethnic favoritism. Through the laboratory evidence, corruption is entirely correlated with the origin country of people. Hence, it is fair to conclude that corruption is based on country of origin. On the other hand, study 2, pound that in-marriages practices do not increase the incentive for favoritism. A close examination of village settings, kin favoritism, is of high degree while with non-kin residents there is a low degree of favoritism. At the same time, where in-group marriages are allowed, partisanship is constant and high but where it is not permitted it declines. Hence, norms that favor in-group members are common in societies that have in-marriage practices.

From the sub-studies, four conclusions can be derived. First, there is strong evidence that kins are more than willing to favor their own against strangers. Therefore, kin ties are significant in channeling favoritism, which leads to corruption. Second, evidence indicates that incentives help to increase the relatedness of individuals, which is consistent with the biology theory. Hence, biological arguments should be considered as the source of preferences. Third, corruption of people is related to the level of corruption of the origin country. Fourth, evidence supports the claim that kinship patterns can explain social norms variations plus institutional quality.

Work Cited

Akbari, Mahsa et al. “An Experimental Study of Kin and Ethnic Favoritism”. 5 November 2018. pp. 1-24.

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