Private lands and common oceans: analysis of the development of property regimes

Current Anthropology • Vol/Iss. 56(1) • University of Chicago Press • • Published In • Pages: 28-55 •
By Acheson, James M.

Abstract

In this article, the author departs from previous research on common vs. private property ownership predictors to understand why ocean property rights often play out differently than land. As opposed to the dominant hypothesis that common property regimes will change to private property when resources are scarce and population increases, the author proposes economic defendability (the relationship between the value of the property and the cost to defend it) as a better predictor of property regime type.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
Societies compiled from other studiesResearcher's own35 societies, all either have common property regimes or had them at one point

Hypotheses (1)

HypothesisSupported
Societies with high economic defendability are more likely to have private property regimes.Mostly supported (26 of 35 societies)
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By:  Benjamin.gonzalez