Cultural Integration and Its Discontents

Abstract:     
A community's culture is defined by the preferences and equilibrium behaviors of its members. Contacts among communities alter individual cultures through two mechanisms: behavioral adaptations driven by payoffs to coordination and preference changes shaped by socialization and self-persuasion. This paper explores the workings of these mechanisms through a model of cultural integration in which preferences and behaviors vary continuously. It identifies a broad set of conditions under which cross-cultural contacts promote cultural hybridization. Limiting outcomes are independent of the conformity pressures within the constituent cultures. The analysis suggests that efforts to preserve existing cultures conflict with policies helpful to social integration. It also shows that communities benefit from having other communities adjust their behaviors,
yielding fresh insights into strategies pursued to influence cultural trends.

JEL Classifications: D7, H4, J7, O0

Working Paper Series