The role of economic culture in social interdependence: Consequences for social exclusion experiences

In this chapter, we discuss economic group differences in responses to social exclusion in children and adults. We begin by outlining evidence that different economies give rise to different habits and social practices, and that these habits and social practices lead to differences in the extent to which individuals perceive themselves to be independent from, or interdependent with, others. We then argue that differences in social interdependence are associated with differences in how individuals respond to social exclusion. Drawing on our own research with an interdependent farming community and a more independent herding community, we describe cultural differences in how individuals perceive social exclusion, respond to being excluded, and morally evaluate those who exclude others.