A Stepping Stone Approach to Norm Transitions

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Gulesci, Selim; Jindani, Sam; La Ferrara, Eliana; Smerdon, David; Sulaiman, Munshi; Young, Peyton
• 署名单位: Trinity College Dublin; National University of Singapore; Harvard University; National Bureau of Economic Research; Center for Economic & Policy Research (CEPR); University of Queensland; Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee BRAC; BRAC University; University of Oxford
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0002-8282
• DOI: 10.1257/aer.20230458
• 发表日期: 2025
• 页码: 2237-2266
• 关键词: statistical-mechanics; EVOLUTION; AGE; persistence; equilibria; ECONOMICS; marriage; beliefs; origins

摘要

We propose a model to study when an intermediate action can serve as a stepping stone that enables the elimination of a harmful norm. While the intermediate action may facilitate the first step, it may also become a new norm. We derive intuitive conditions for stepping stones, which depend on the relative size of social penalties and intrinsic utility benefits. We propose an econometric approach to testing whether an intermediate action is a stepping stone, and apply it to original data on female genital cutting in Somalia. The analysis shows that the intermediate action may become the new norm.