Socialisation Antecedents of Allocation Rule Preferences in India

Abstract

Distributive justice has been examined in the context of reward or resource allocation and the research findings indicate that there are individual and cultural variations in what people consider fair or just. Issues related to the determinants of individual and cultural difference in the perception of justice are discussed. Earlier studies are discussed which have shown that allocation rule preferences are determined by personal, situational and resource char acteristics that reflect cultural influences. However, socialisation as a deter minant has not been theoretically or empirically studied. The socialisation antecedents for justice rule preferences are discussed with reference to the at titudes and values of both traditional and contemporary Indian society and with reference to child rearing practices. Indian studies of allocation rule pref erences are presented which indicate that the effect of pervasive cultural norms are moderated by situational and resource characteristics. It has been pointed out that socialisation and child rearing practices are not highlighted in tra ditional texts. Five cultural dimensions, namely, collectivism, power distance, traditionalism, agricultural economy and scarcity are discussed and the link ages between cultural dimensions, socialisation and allocation rule preference are presented.