The Social Psychology of the Gift
Abstract
In the first section of this essay gift exchange is discussed in terms of its relevance for the development and maintenance of identity. The acceptance of a gift, it is suggested, is in fact an acceptance of the giver's ideas as to what one's desires and needs are. Gift giving as a mode of social control and expression of unfriendliness is considered. The relationship between gift exchange and social structure is analyzed from the standpoint of the "gratitude imperative." The essay is concluded with a treatment of benefit exchange as a technique for the regulation of shared guilt.
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- Authors
- Schwartz, B.
- Affiliations
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Corresponding author
- Schwartz, Barry
- Venue
- American Journal of Sociology
- Publisher
- University of Chicago Press
- Published
- 1967-07
- Volume
- 73
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-11
- ISSN
- 0002-9602 (ISSN-L)
- 1537-5390
- OpenAlex
- W1998518510
- Cited by
- 524
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 36 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 31 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 49 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 3.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Sociology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social Power and Status Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Cross-Cultural and Social Analysis
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Emile Durkheim and Sociology
- Keywords
- gift exchange, gift-giving, identity construction, social control, social structure, reciprocity
- MeSH terms
- Anxiety, Guilt, Humans, Identification, Psychological, Interpersonal Relations, Psychology, Social, Self Concept, Social Control, Informal
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