Social Norms and Extortion Rackets

Norms, in their many forms, are all around us. The social world that we inhabit is saturated with them. As others have elegantly put it, 'from forceps to grave, human life is wrapped in a tightly woven tapestry of rules, standards, and expectations that govern every aspect of social behaviour' (Anderson & Dunning, 2014). Not only are norms widespread, but they also have powerful effects on our individual and social behaviour, often for the better but sometimes for the worse (Ellickson, 1991; Fehr & Fischbacher, 2004; Henrich et al., 2001). Actions taken within the context of protection rackets are arguably not exempt. Domain-specific norms, regarding paying or supporting behaviour, and domain-general norms such as reciprocity and fairness may shape behaviour there too.