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Does Group Size Matter? The Impact Of Reciprocity On Giving In Local Faith Communities, Jack B. Watson Jr., Karol A. Chandler-Ezell

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

We compare and contrast how group size affects the internal structure & relational dynamics of religious communities, ranging from small religious congregations to megachurches (in American society). Classic anthropological economic and evolutionary theory holds that reciprocity, particularly altruistic generalized reciprocity, is most likely to strongly influence small groups, especially kinship-based groups. In the case of non-kin groups, studies of behavior mimicking kin altruism have found that all forms of reciprocity, including extreme giving and high-cost behaviors, are most likely to be found in small social groups with tight bonds, particularly those with shared religious beliefs. In the case of larger …