1. Who perished on the Titanic? The importance of social norms.
- Author
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Frey, Bruno S., Savage, David A., and Torgler, Benno
- Subjects
- *
SOCIAL norms , *DISASTERS , *DECISION making , *SOCIAL support , *EMPIRICAL research , *CITIZENSHIP , *CRISIS management - Abstract
This paper seeks to empirically identify what factors make it more or less likely for people to survive in a life-threatening situation. Three factors relate to individual attributes of the persons onboard: physical strength, economic resources, and nationality. Two relate to social aspects: social support and social norms. The Titanic disaster is a life-or-death situation. Otherwise-disregarded aspects of human nature become apparent in such a dangerous situation. The empirical analysis supports the notion that social norms are a key determinant in extreme situations of life or death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
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