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What is Ethnic Nepotism?

Ethnic nepotism is a concept in sociobiology to explain why people prefer other people of the same ethnicity or race. Influenced by W.D. Hamilton's theory of kin selection, ethnic nepotism describes a human tendency for in-group bias or in-group favouritism applied on the ethnic level. It was coined by sociologist Pierre L. van den Berghe in response to Belgian oppression of Africans he witnessed as a Congolese-born European in the Belgian Congo.

The theory of ethnic nepotism developed by van den Berghe views ethnocentrism and racism as nepotism toward extended kin, real or fictive, and products of kin selection. The concept has been applied and extended by figures such as Tatu Vanhanen and Frank Salter.

Steve Sailer, following the work of Hamilton and van den Berghe, notes that the genetic basis of ethnic nepotism is as strong as the uncle-nephew bond:

[Pierre L. van den Berghe's concept of] "ethnic nepotism" [lead him to] to sociobiology and its bedrock finding: the late William D. Hamilton's theory of kin selection and inclusive fitness—the more genes we share with another individual, the more altruistic we feel toward him. There are no clear boundaries between extended family, tribe, ethnic group, or race. So van den Berghe coined the term "ethnic nepotism" to describe the human tendency to favor "our people." Ethnocentrism, clannishness, xenophobia, nationalism, and racism are the almost inevitable flip sides of ethnic nepotism... [The] genetic basis for ethnic nepotism with each racial group is roughly as strong on average as the etymologically classic case of nepotism among close kin—the uncle-nephew bond. Ethnic nepotism isn't a metaphor. It's a reality.[1]

Ethnic nepotism answers the question why people favor those most like them. Sailer continues:

Why do people care so much about who is related to whom? Because, as Hamilton's logic showed, that's toward whom they are more nepotistic (i.e., altruistic). In turn, ethnocentrism, nationalism, and racism are essentially the inevitable flip side of nepotism. If people discriminate in favor of their relatives, they are going to discriminate against their non-relatives.[2]

J. Philippe Rushton links ethnic nepotism to genetic similarity theory, arguing that people engage in ethnic nepotism to benefit copies of their genes:

[T]he reason people engage in ethnic nepotism, as well as marry similar others, and like, make friends with, and help the most similar of their neighbors, is that doing so benefits copies of their genes. The sense of a common ethnicity remains a major focus of identification for individuals today. It is no more likely to diminish in the future than is that of the family. Genetic similarity theory explains why.[3]

Regarding how this translates into politics and why homogeneous societies are more altruistic, Frank Salter writes:

Relatively homogeneous societies invest more in public goods, indicating a higher level of public altruism. For example, the degree of ethnic homogeneity correlates with the government's share of gross domestic product as well as the average wealth of citizens. Case studies of the United States, Africa and South-East Asia find that multi-ethnic societies are less charitable and less able to cooperate to develop public infrastructure. Moscow beggars receive more gifts from fellow ethnics than from other ethnies. A recent multi-city study of municipal spending on public goods in the United States found that ethnically or racially diverse cities spend a smaller portion of their budgets and less per capita on public services than do the more homogenous cities.[4]

References
1. Sailer, Steve, "Where Dawkins Fears To Tread: Ethnic Nepotism And The Reality Of Race," VDare, Oct. 3, 2004.
2. Sailer, Steve, "Rushton on ethnic nepotism," ISteve, Oct. 31, 2005.
3. Rushton, J. Phillipe, "Shared Genes: The Evolution of Ethnonationalism," VDare, August 20, 2009.
4. Salter, Frank, On Genetic Interests, pg.146.

Further Reading: Ethnic Nepotism Bibliography

-Axelrod, Robert, "The Evolution of Ethnocentric Behavior," Midwest Political Science Convention, April 16, 2003.

- van den Berghe, Pierre L., The Ethnic Phenomenon (1981).

- Lehmann, Ernst, "Genes contribute to patriotism and group loyality," Innovations Report, Nov. 15, 2005.

- MacDonald, Kevin, "Comments on Ethnic Interests," Occidental Observer, Dec. 5, 2009.

- Rushton, J. Philipe, "Ethnic Nationalism, evolutionary psychology and Genetic Similarity Theory," Nations and Nationalism, Vol. 11, Oct. 2005.

- Rushton, J. Philipe, "Shared Genes: The Evolution of Ethnonationalism," VDare, August 20, 2009.

- Sailer, Steve, "Where Dawkins Fears To Tread: Ethnic Nepotism And The Reality Of Race," VDare, Oct. 3, 2004.

- Salter, Frank, "Estimating Ethnic Genetic Interists: Is It Adaptive to Resist Replacement Migration?," Population and Environment, Vol. 24, Nov. 2002.

- Salter, Frank, "Misunderstandings of Kin Selection with Reference to the Immortality of Values and the Delay in Quantifying Ethnic Kinship," Mankind Quarterly, Vol. 48, Spring 2008.

- Salter, Frank, On Genetic Interests: Family, Ethnicity, and Humanity in an Age of Mass Migration (2007).

- Salter, Frank, Risky Transactions: Trust, Kinship and Ethnicity (2002).

- Salter, Frank, "Urban begging and ethnic nepotism in Russia," Human Nature, Vol. 11, June. 2000.

- Smith, Lars Christian, "Discrimination and Ethnic Nepotism," Conservation Finance, Sept. 13, 2006.

- Vanhanen, Tatu, "Domestic Ethnic Conflict and Ethnic Nepotism: A Comparative Analysis," Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 36, 1999.

- Vanhanen, Tatu, Ethnic Conflicts Explained by Ethnic Nepotism (1999).

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Submitted by Derek Stevenson.