The effects of economic austerity on pro-sociality: Evidence from Greece

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

European Union Politics

Publication Date

8-29-2022

Abstract

The European sovereign debt crisis resulted in policies of fiscal austerity and economic downturn in Greece, marked by a prolonged period of recession and high unemployment. This article explores the social impact of the economic crisis, focusing on its effects on altruism using new household-level survey data and quasi-behavioral outcomes. We focus on the effects of joblessness, the most severe form of economic hardship imposed as a result of the crisis. Our findings reveal a strong relationship between job loss in the household and decreased altruism. We provide experimental evidence of these effects and of in-group bias in charitable giving as a result of joblessness. Our results show that joblessness intensifies survey respondents’ preferences for national as opposed to foreign charities.

ISSN

1465-1165

Publisher

SAGE Publications

First Page

146511652211205

Last Page

146511652211205

Disciplines

Business

Keywords

Altruism, austerity, joblessness, solidarity

Indexed in Scopus

no

Open Access

yes

Open Access Type

Green: A manuscript of this publication is openly available in a repository

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