| By: |
Holger Bonin (IZA and DIW Berlin);
Amelie Constant (IZA, Georgetown University and DIW DC);
Konstantinos Tatsiramos (IZA);
Klaus F. Zimmermann (IZA, Bonn University and DIW Berlin) |
| Abstract: |
The paper investigates the role of social norms as a determinant of individual
attitudes by analyzing risk proclivity reported by immigrants and natives in a
unique representative German survey. We employ factor analysis to construct
measures of immigrants’ ethnic persistence and assimilation. The estimated
effect of these measures on risk proclivity suggests that adaptation to the
attitudes of the majority population closes the immigrantnative gap in risk
proclivity, while stronger commitment to the home country preserves it. As
risk attitudes are behaviorally relevant, and vary by ethnic origin, our
results could also help explain differences in economic assimilation of
immigrants. |
| Keywords: |
risk attitudes, ethnic persistence, assimilation, second generation effects, gender |
| JEL: |
D1 D81 F22 J15 J16 J31 J62 J82 |
| Date: |
2006–12 |
| URL: |
http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2537&r=upt |