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

Revised, updated and in paperback, studies altruistic and nonaltruistic motives for transfers between families and groups.

Oded Stark (Author)

9780521663731, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 7 October 1999

156 pages
22.6 x 15.2 x 1 cm, 0.21 kg

'Oded Stark's book is a very stimulating one; it will undoubtedly inspire numerous future contributions in various fields.' European Journal of Political Economy

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.

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.

Subject Areas: Economic theory & philosophy [KCA]