Rory Smead (Northeastern University), Patrick Forber (Tufts University)
Are ownership norms conventional? And if so, why are they so prevalent? A conventional origin for a norm, behavior, or social practice often contrasts with an explanation that appeals to intrinsic values or superior payoffs. To be conventional is to lack any systematic strategic or adaptive edge over alternative behaviors. Here we explore the merit of this way of thinking by focusing on a proposal about conventional origin of ownership norms. The classic explanation needs to be revised, and that revision raises new possibilities about the origins of norms surrounding ownership that may apply broadly to biological and cultural evolution.
