Dissertation Research: Social Norms and Group Cooperation in an Agro-Pastoral Region of Tanzania

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9817248Richerson / Paciotti This project supports the dissertation research of an anthropology student from the University California-Davis, studying how social norms produce sanctions that affect the propensity of community members to cooperate in a rural area of Tanzania. The student will interview members of agro-pastoral communities about the types and frequencies of social incentives that motivate individuals to participate in cooperative grass-roots protection organizations or vigilante groups. The behavior of people in different communities will be studied to assess the local variation in social norms and institutions affecting the propensity to cooperate in this form of activity. Attention will be paid to the conditions affecting free-riding such as gossip and to the social status of individuals. The student will study in two ethnic communities using ethnographic techniques and in-depth interviews on a random sample of households. After a primary set of interviews to establish the prevalence of a set of incidents of vigilante behavior, the student will draw a second random sample to report personal involvement in the incidents. This research is valuable because cooperation involving large groups is of fundamental interest in democratic society, as well as relevant to applied problems such as environmental degradation and common resource management. This project will advance our knowledge of the function of social norms and institutions that function to provide trust in local communities. In addition the project supports the training of a young social scientist, and advances our knowledge of this important area of the world.