The Science of Generosity: Causes, Manifestations, and Consequences (Palgrave Studies in Altruism, Morality, and Social Solidarity)

This book advances understanding of the manifestations, causes, and consequences of generosity. Synthesizing the findings of the 14 research projects conducted by the Science of Generosity Initiative and offering an appendix of methods for studying generosity, this comprehensive account integrates insights from disparate disciplines to facilitate a broader understanding of giving - ultimately creating a compendium of not only the latest research in the field of altruistic behaviors, but also a research roadmap for the future. As the author sequentially explores the manifestations, causes, and consequences of generosity, Patricia Snell Herzog here also offers analyses ranging from the micro- to macro-level to paint a full picture of the individual, interpersonal and familial, and collective (inter)actions involved in altruism and generosity. The author concludes with a call to stimulate further interdisciplinary generosity studies, describing the implications for emerging scholars and practitioners across sociology, economics, political science, religious studies, and beyond Acknowledgments and Preface......Page 6 Bibliography......Page 13 Contents......Page 14 List of Figures......Page 17 List of Tables......Page 19 Chapter 1: Introduction: The Science of Generosity: From Disparate to Integrated......Page 20 Need for the Book......Page 21 Improving Access to Newly Available Survey Data on the Manifestations of Generosity......Page 22 Learning from Multiple Methods......Page 23 Science of Generosity Initiative......Page 24 Approach of the Book......Page 33 Plan for the Book......Page 34 Bibliography......Page 35 Chapter 2: The Manifestations of Generosity: From Cooperation to Social Justice......Page 40 Philanthropy......Page 41 Generosity......Page 42 Cooperation......Page 43 Relational Generosity......Page 46 Charitable Giving......Page 48 Volunteering......Page 51 Political Action......Page 53 Blood and Organ Donation......Page 55 Social Justice......Page 56 Conceptual Framework......Page 57 Bibliography......Page 64 Chapter 3: The Causes of Generosity: From Attachment to Cultural Solidarity......Page 71 Genetic Causes......Page 73 Social Psychological Orientations......Page 79 Family Causes......Page 80 Interpersonal Causes......Page 82 Children Learning to Give......Page 83 The Power of Asking: By Unknown Others......Page 87 The Power of Asking: By Known Others......Page 92 Group, Community, and Organizational Causes......Page 93 Institutional Causes......Page 97 Religious Institutions......Page 98 Governmental Institutions......Page 100 Societal and Cultural Causes......Page 103 Bibliography......Page 106 Chapter 4: The Consequences of Generosity: From the Interpersonal to the Collective......Page 111 Individual Consequences......Page 112 Interpersonal Consequences......Page 114 Group Consequences......Page 115 Organizational Consequences......Page 116 Social Network Consequences......Page 117 Community Consequences......Page 119 Institutional Consequences......Page 121 Rippling Consequences......Page 122 Bibliography......Page 124 Interdisciplinarity......Page 127 Logics of Interdisciplinarity......Page 130 Intersectionality......Page 131 Interdisciplinarity in the Science of Generosity......Page 132 Ten Challenges of Interdisciplinarity......Page 149 Author-Specific Challenges......Page 150 Field-Specific Challenges......Page 155 Ten Opportunities for Interdisciplinarity......Page 158 Bibliography......Page 160 Chapter 6: Conclusion: Generosity in Action—Benefiting the Collective Good......Page 163 Developing Studies of Generosity and Philanthropy......Page 164 The Next Best Steps......Page 168 Implications for Practitioners......Page 170 The Formation of Generosity......Page 172 Generosity’s Manifestations and Consequences......Page 173 For Future Study......Page 174 Bibliography......Page 175 Chapter 7: Appendix: On Studying Generosity......Page 178 A Research Roadmap......Page 179 Experimental Methods......Page 189 Survey Methods......Page 190 In-depth Interview Methods......Page 193 Existing Data, Secondary Analysis Methods......Page 194 Mixed Methods......Page 195 Meta-analysis Methods......Page 197 Production Versus Consumption of Knowledge......Page 198 The Iterative Research Process......Page 199 Bibliography......Page 202 Index......Page 204 Acknowledgments and Preface 6 Bibliography 13 Contents 14 List of Figures 17 List of Tables 19 Chapter 1: Introduction: The Science of Generosity: From Disparate to Integrated 20 Need for the Book 21 Scholarly Contributions 22 Focusing on Learning to Give 22 Improving Access to Newly Available Survey Data on the Manifestations of Generosity 22 Learning from Multiple Methods 23 Gaining Insights on the Consequences of Generous Behavior 24 Synthesizing and Encouraging Cross-Discipline Generosity Research 24 Science of Generosity Initiative 24 Approach of the Book 33 Plan for the Book 34 Bibliography 35 Chapter 2: The Manifestations of Generosity: From Cooperation to Social Justice 40 Philanthropy 41 Generosity 42 Cooperation 43 Informal Helping 46 Relational Generosity 46 Charitable Giving 48 Volunteering 51 Political Action 53 Blood and Organ Donation 55 Social Justice 56 Conceptual Framework 57 Bibliography 64 Chapter 3: The Causes of Generosity: From Attachment to Cultural Solidarity 71 Individual Causes 73 Genetic Causes 73 Social Psychological Orientations 79 Family Causes 80 Interpersonal Causes 82 Children Learning to Give 83 The Power of Asking: By Unknown Others 87 The Power of Asking: By Known Others 92 Group, Community, and Organizational Causes 93 Institutional Causes 97 Religious Institutions 98 Governmental Institutions 100 Societal and Cultural Causes 103 Multiplicative Causes 106 Bibliography 106 Chapter 4: The Consequences of Generosity: From the Interpersonal to the Collective 111 Individual Consequences 112 Interpersonal Consequences 114 Group Consequences 115 Organizational Consequences 116 Social Network Consequences 117 Community Consequences 119 Institutional Consequences 121 Rippling Consequences 122 Bibliography 124 Chapter 5: The Interdisciplinary Study of Generosity: The Sum Is Greater Than Its Parts 127 Interdisciplinarity 127 Logics of Interdisciplinarity 130 Modes of Interdisciplinarity 131 Intersectionality 131 Interdisciplinarity in the Science of Generosity 132 Ten Challenges of Interdisciplinarity 149 Author-Specific Challenges 150 Field-Specific Challenges 155 Ten Opportunities for Interdisciplinarity 158 Bibliography 160 Chapter 6: Conclusion: Generosity in Action—Benefiting the Collective Good 163 Implications for Emerging Scholars 164 A Modern Guidebook on Generosity 164 Developing Studies of Generosity and Philanthropy 164 The Next Best Steps 168 Implications for Practitioners 170 Prompting the Desire to Help 172 The Formation of Generosity 172 Generosity’s Manifestations and Consequences 173 Global Perspectives on Generosity 174 For Future Study 174 Bibliography 175 Chapter 7: Appendix: On Studying Generosity 178 A Research Roadmap 179 Experimental Methods 189 Survey Methods 190 In-depth Interview Methods 193 Existing Data, Secondary Analysis Methods 194 Mixed Methods 195 Meta-analysis Methods 197 Literature Review Methods 198 Production Versus Consumption of Knowledge 198 The Iterative Research Process 199 Bibliography 202 Index 204