American Generosity: Who Gives and Why

American Generosity: Who Gives and Why

American Generosity: Who Gives and Why

American Generosity: Who Gives and Why

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Overview

American charitable giving veers from the hyperbolically generous to the hyperbolically stingy. On some days, no one has a quarter to spare; in times of disaster, Americans will put their lives on hold to build houses for those displaced by hurricanes. The crucial question of who gives and why they do it lies at the heart of American Generosity.

Patricia Snell Herzog and Heather E. Price, sociologists who focus on philanthropy, draw on findings from the groundbreaking Science of Generosity initiative, which combines a nationally representative survey of adult Americans with in-depth interviews and case studies. For most Americans, they find, the important forms of giving are: donating money, volunteering time, and taking political action. Focusing on these three types of activity, the authors go on to examine and analyze multiple dimensions of resources, social status, regional cultural norms, different approaches to giving, social-psychological orientation, and the relational contexts of generosity. Herzog and Price conclude that giving is supported by "circles of generosity," which ripple outward in their reach to targets of giving. The book offers not just analysis, but practical tips for readers who want to increase their own giving, for parents modeling giving to their children, spouses desiring alignment in their giving,
and friends and community members seeking to support giving by others. The authors also provide explicit fundraising ideas for nonprofits, foundations, and religious leaders.

Thought-provoking and accessibly written, American Generosity lays out a broad yet nuanced explanation of giving that sheds important new light on a topic that touches all of us in one way or another.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780190456498
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication date: 03/01/2016
Pages: 376
Sales rank: 719,392
Product dimensions: 6.20(w) x 9.50(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Patricia Snell Herzog is a co-investigator on the Science of Generosity Initiative and Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Arkansas. She is the co-author of Souls in Transition (2009) and Lost in Transition (2011).

Heather E. Price is a co-investigator on the Science of Generosity Phase II. Previously Price was Assistant Director of the Center for the Study of Religion at the University of Notre Dame.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Foreword

Introduction - Who Gives & Why? American Generosity in Perspective
Case Study Introductions - An In-Depth Look at Twelve Americans & Their Giving
Chapter 1 - Picture of American Generosity: Participation in Giving Behaviors
Chapter 2 - Landscape of American Generosity: Social Status & Regional Patterns
Chapter 3 - Types of American Givers: Variations in Approaches to Giving
Chapter 4 - Personal & Social Orientations to Giving: A Social Psychological Approach
Chapter 5 - Giving Web of Affiliations: A Socio-Relational Approach
Conclusion - Generosity, Philanthropy, and Civil Society in Social Context
Methodological Appendixes

Notes
Index
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