The Paradox of Generosity: Giving We Receive, Grasping We Lose

by Christian Smith, Hilary Davidson

Overview

Determining why, when, and to whom people feel compelled to be generous affords invaluable insight into positive and problematic ways of life. Organ donation, volunteering, and the funding of charities can all be illuminated by sociological and psychological perspectives on how American adults conceive of and demonstrate generosity. Focusing not only on financial giving but on the many diverse forms generosity can take, Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson show the deep impact-usually good, sometimes destructive-that giving has on individuals.

The Paradox of Generosity is the first study to make use of the cutting-edge empirical data collected in Smith's groundbreaking, multidisciplinary, five-year Science of Generosity Initiative. It draws on an extensive survey of 2,000 Americans, more than sixty in-depth interviews with individuals across twelve states, and analysis of over 1,000 photographs and other visual materials. This wealth of evidence reveals a consistent link between demonstrating generosity and leading a better life: more generous people are happier, suffer fewer illnesses and injuries, live with a greater sense of purpose, and experience less depression. Smith and Davidson also show, however, that to achieve a better life a person must practice generosity regularly-random acts of kindness are not enough.

Offering a wide range of vividly illustrative case studies, this volume will be a crucial resource for anyone seeking to understand the true impact and meaning of generosity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199394906
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	09/01/2014
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	280
Sales rank:	504,071
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Christian Smith is William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame, Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society, Director of the Notre Dame Center for Social Research, Principal Investigator of the National Study of Youth and Religion, and Principal Investigator of the Science of Generosity Initiative. He is the author, co-author, or editor of numerous books, including Young Catholic America, Souls in Transition, and Soul Searching.

Hilary Davidson is a PhD candidate in sociology at the University of Notre Dame. With Christian Smith, Kari Christoffersen, and Patricia Snell Herzog, she is a co-author of Lost in Transition: The Dark Side of Emerging Adulthood.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction

1. The Paradox of Giving and Getting
2. How Generosity Enhances Wellbeing
3. Generous and Ungenerous America
4. Understanding Ungenerous Americans
5. The Lived Experience of Generous Americans

Conclusion
Appendix A: Additional Evidence on Generosity, Depression, and Personal Growth
Notes
Index

Editorial Reviews

07/14/2014
Only 2.7% of Americans tithe a 10th or more of their income to charity, say sociologists Davidson (Lost in Transition) and Smith (Soul Searching). Moreover, most donate very little—“at least 86.2 percent give away less than 2 percent of their income”—and nearly half give nothing at all. The misfortune here is twofold, according to the authors of this compelling and well-researched study. It’s not just that our collective stinginess deprives charities and the needy of funds, but that it also diminishes our own well-being, connectedness, and sense of purpose. By measure after measure (chapter one alone has 27 bar graphs), the book argues that the regular practice of being generous with our money, time, and relationships enhances happiness. Despite having similar life challenges as ungenerous people (“Generosity is not the result of people living charmed lives”), generous people are mentally healthier and more resilient. The authors come to the hopeful conclusion that “Americans have not ‘topped out’ their capacity to live in the kind of generous ways that we expect could increase their happiness.” (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"The Paradox of Generosity is a winner. It's a terrific book full of interesting and important data and insights and, more important, meaningful lessons for each of us and for all of us. Parents should make this book required reading for their adult children as a roadmap to greater happiness, health, and purpose in life." —Jack Brennan, Chairman Emeritus, The Vanguard Group

"'It is a sociological fact: by giving ourselves away, we flourish!' Smith and Davidson provide data to support the truth of that statement as they unpack the rich learnings of Notre Dame's 'Science of Generosity Initiative.' A must read for scholars, health professionals, nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, religious practitioners. But more: it written for anyone who in their giving and living want to live well and make a difference." —William G. Enright, Director of the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University

"...compelling and well-researched... the book argues that the regular practice of being generous with our money, time, and relationships enhances happiness." —Publishers Weekly

"...[Fascinating]... I'm grateful for [the authors'] extensive research and careful presentation of the results. The charts, data, and lengthy interviews found in The Paradox of Generosity should satisfy skeptics and scholars. They have employed the language of academia to describe in new ways something that has always been true: That generosity feels good, and is good for you..." —Englewood Review of Books

"Smith and Davidson paint a rich portrait of the generous and ungenerous family, using excellent data." —CHOICE

"This is a cogent, clearly written book that deftly weaves theoretical concepts and quantitative data into an intriguing account of generosity and how, precisely, it facilitates health, happiness, and purpose in life." —American Journal of Sociology

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