Abstract
We develop a model in which nonwhite individuals are defined with
respect to their social environment (family, friends, and neighbors) and their
attachments to their culture of origin (religion or language), and in which jobs are
mainly found through social networks. We find that depending on how strong peer
pressures are, nonwhites choose to adopt “oppositional” identities because some
individuals may identify with the dominant culture and others may reject that
culture, even if it implies adverse labor market outcomes.
respect to their social environment (family, friends, and neighbors) and their
attachments to their culture of origin (religion or language), and in which jobs are
mainly found through social networks. We find that depending on how strong peer
pressures are, nonwhites choose to adopt “oppositional” identities because some
individuals may identify with the dominant culture and others may reject that
culture, even if it implies adverse labor market outcomes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 643-667 |
| Number of pages | 25 |
| Journal | Journal of Population Economics |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Early online date | 20 Oct 2006 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 2007 |
Keywords
- ethnic minorities
- identity
- social networks
- White's norm
- multiple equilibria