Trust, Ethnicity, and Identity: Beyond the New Institutional Economics of Ethnic Trading Networks, Contract Law, and Gift-Exchange (Economics, Cognition, and Society)

How ethnic kin-based trading networks can rely on trust when a well-developed framework of contract laws is missing Trust, Ethnicity, And Identity Deals With The Economic Role Of Laws And Institutions In Achieving Social Order In A Decentralized Economy. Specifically, This Book Considers The Coordinating Role Of Three Major Nonprice Institutions - Ethnic Trading Networks, Contract Law, And Gift-exchange - In Economizing On Transaction Costs And Thus Facilitating The Process Of Exchange In Decentralized Economies In Different Historical Contexts.--book Jacket. The Major Unifying Theme Of The Book Is This: Identity Matters When Traders Operate In An Environment Characterized By Contract Uncertainty, Where The Legal Framework For The Enforcement Of Contracts Is Not Well Developed. This In Turn Points Out The Importance Of Trust Embedded In Particularistic Exchange Relations Such As Kinship Or Ethnicity.--book Jacket. One Unique Facet Of This Book Is That The Author Uses A Property Rights-public Choice Approach - Part Of The New Institutional Economics - To Provide A Unifying Theoretical Framework To Explain Such Diverse Exchange Institutions As Contract Law, Ethnic Trading Networks, And Gift-exchange. In Addition, It Goes Beyond The New Institutional Economics Paradigm By Incorporating Some Crucial Concepts From Sociology, Anthropology, And Bioeconomics, Such As Social Structure, Social Norms, Culture, Reciprocity, And Kin-related Altruism. This Broad Interdisciplinary Framework Gives Landa's Work A Relevance Beyond Economics To Law, Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology, And Bioeconomics.--book Jacket. Exchange And The Problem Of Order In The Social Sciences: An Introduction To This Book -- An Exchange Economy With Legally Binding Contract -- Specialization, Exchange Externalities, And Contract Law: A Graph-theoretic Approach -- Hadley V. Baxendale And The Expansion Of The Middleman Economy -- A Theory Of The Ethnically Homogeneous Middleman Group: An Institutional Alternative To Contract Law -- The Economics Of Symbols, Clan Names, And Religion / Jack L. Carr And Janet T. Landa -- The Enigma Of The Kula Ring: Gift-exchanges And Primitive Law And Order -- Socioeconomic Organization Of Honeybee Colonies / Janet T. Landa And Anthony Wallis -- Toward A Theory Of The Emergence, Evolution, And Functions Of Exchange Institutions In Achieving Ordered Anarchy. Janet Tai Landa. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Front Cover ......Page 1 Title Page ......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Dedication ......Page 6 Foreword......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Contents......Page 16 Part 1 Introduction......Page 18 1. Exchange and the Problem of Order in the Social Sciences: An Introduction to This Book......Page 20 Part 2 Contract Law......Page 64 2. An Exchange Economy with Legally Binding Contract......Page 66 3. Specialization, Exchange Externalities, and Contract Law: A Graph-Theoretic Approach......Page 84 4. Hadley v. Baxendale and the Expansion of the Middleman Economy......Page 102 Part 3 Ethnic Trading Networks......Page 116 5. A Theory of the Ethnically Homogeneous Middleman Group: An Institutional Alternative to Contract Law......Page 118 6. The Economics of Symbols, Clan Names, and Religion - Jack L. Carr and Janet T. Landa......Page 132 7. The Enigma of the Kula Ring: Gift-Exchanges and Primitive Law and Order......Page 158 Part 4 Gift-Exchange......Page 156 Part 5 Altruism and Cooperation in Honeybee Colonies......Page 188 8. Socioeconomic Organization of Honeybee Colonies - Janet T. Landa and Anthony Wallis......Page 190 Part 6 Exchange Institutions: Their Emergence, Evolution, and Functions......Page 204 9. Toward a Theory of the Emergence, Evolution, and Functions of Exchange Institutions in Achieving Ordered Anarchy......Page 206 Author Index......Page 226 Subject Index......Page 230