Using Paired Comparisons to Measure Reciprocity

Abstract

From ethnographic observations and interviews, the author discovered that the concept of obligation was important in structuring power relationships in Chicago union locals. This was pivotal because relationships of reciprocity underlie the politics of union locals and resistance to some programs from the international organization. Here, the author discusses how he used paired comparisons to test ethnographically derived hypotheses about the salience of concepts of reciprocity and obligation to move beyond qualitative ethnographic intuition to measure cultural concepts and test hypotheses. In conclusion, he suggests that such approaches and methods can enlighten our understanding of reciprocity.