Generalized reciprocity is more valuable than specific reciprocity
Evidence
Sometimes, as in these cases, reciprocity is specific: I’ll do this for you if you do that for me. Even more valuable, however, is a norm of generalized reciprocity: I’ll do this for you without expecting anything specific back from you, in the confident expectation that someone else will do something for me down the road. The Golden Rule is one formulation of generalized reciprocity. — Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone The Collapse and Revival…, 42
Categorization
- DEFINE: Core concept distinction: specific vs. generalized reciprocity.
- XREF: Generalized reciprocity is the linchpin of the reader’s mutual-aid framework and reappears in social capital literature — will likely echo or be contradicted elsewhere. — connects to: Generalized reciprocity emerges from frequent diverse interaction and boosts efficiency — Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone The Collapse and Revival…, 43; Generalized reciprocity outranks tit-for-tat as a social glue — Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone The Collapse and Revival…, 41; Small communities enforce generalized reciprocity rather than one-on-one exchange — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 821 (+2 more)
Broader Connections
- Generalized reciprocity outranks tit-for-tat as a social glue
#corroborates(0.85) — Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone The Collapse and Revival…, 41 - Small communities enforce generalized reciprocity rather than one-on-one exchange
#exemplifies(0.78) — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 821 - Generalized reciprocity emerges from frequent diverse interaction and boosts efficiency
#expands(0.75) — Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone The Collapse and Revival…, 43 - Competitive altruism permits unconditional giving rather than matched reciprocity
#qualifies(0.72) — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality, 530 - Mutualistic reciprocity succeeds where individual competition would fail under stress
#corroborates(0.72) — Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass, 1009