Jon Dean
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- January 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781447340027
- eISBN:
- 9781447344933
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781447340027.003.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Culture
This introductory chapter provides an overview of charity. Charity is a subject largely untouched by modern sociologists, often left instead to the policy analysts who seek to understand the logic of ...
More
This introductory chapter provides an overview of charity. Charity is a subject largely untouched by modern sociologists, often left instead to the policy analysts who seek to understand the logic of charities, their management, their delivery of services, and their resourcing. In focusing mainly on charity and not on charities, this book re-examines that more ephemeral notion, and brings a new theoretical lens to how charity operates and works in modern society. This includes a desire to focus on the social reaction to acts of charity, and how that reaction plays out in the internal monologue of the charitable individual. The book shows what it is that makes charity ‘good’, and how this awareness of charity's goodness drives more charity, in a way that can be rewarding for the demonstrably charitable, but also how this goodness creates huge silences and violences about how charity is both practised and operationalised. The ‘good glow’ of charity is inherently powerful and sociologically problematic in terms of policy and everyday practice.Less
This introductory chapter provides an overview of charity. Charity is a subject largely untouched by modern sociologists, often left instead to the policy analysts who seek to understand the logic of charities, their management, their delivery of services, and their resourcing. In focusing mainly on charity and not on charities, this book re-examines that more ephemeral notion, and brings a new theoretical lens to how charity operates and works in modern society. This includes a desire to focus on the social reaction to acts of charity, and how that reaction plays out in the internal monologue of the charitable individual. The book shows what it is that makes charity ‘good’, and how this awareness of charity's goodness drives more charity, in a way that can be rewarding for the demonstrably charitable, but also how this goodness creates huge silences and violences about how charity is both practised and operationalised. The ‘good glow’ of charity is inherently powerful and sociologically problematic in terms of policy and everyday practice.
Jon Dean
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- January 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781447340027
- eISBN:
- 9781447344933
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781447340027.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Culture
We praise those people who do things for others. But the symbolic power of giving means individuals can take advantage of the glow of ‘goodness’ that charity provides. This book analyses the reality ...
More
We praise those people who do things for others. But the symbolic power of giving means individuals can take advantage of the glow of ‘goodness’ that charity provides. This book analyses the reality of how charity operates in the social world; how the personal benefits of giving and volunteering are vital for getting charitable acts to happen; how the altruism associated with gifts isn't always what it seems; how charity misbehaviour or bad management gets overlooked; and how charity symbols are weaponised against those who don't participate. Drawing on original data and a novel application of the sociology of Bourdieu, this book examines a wide range of examples from culture, politics and society to provide an entertaining critique of how contemporary charity works.Less
We praise those people who do things for others. But the symbolic power of giving means individuals can take advantage of the glow of ‘goodness’ that charity provides. This book analyses the reality of how charity operates in the social world; how the personal benefits of giving and volunteering are vital for getting charitable acts to happen; how the altruism associated with gifts isn't always what it seems; how charity misbehaviour or bad management gets overlooked; and how charity symbols are weaponised against those who don't participate. Drawing on original data and a novel application of the sociology of Bourdieu, this book examines a wide range of examples from culture, politics and society to provide an entertaining critique of how contemporary charity works.
Jon Dean
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- January 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781447340027
- eISBN:
- 9781447344933
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781447340027.003.0003
- Subject:
- Sociology, Culture
This chapter examines young people's perception and experiences of charity and voluntary action online, and what the implications of these practices might be. Findings show that despite the ...
More
This chapter examines young people's perception and experiences of charity and voluntary action online, and what the implications of these practices might be. Findings show that despite the supposedly globalised nature of social media connections, friends and family still drive young people's giving online. Young participants report awkwardness about asking for donations and feeling that they may be ‘guilt tripping’ others into giving by requesting donations from friends. They also worry that talking about charity online could be perceived as ‘showing off’ how good they were or ‘humblebragging’ in a faux presentation of goodness, and, in the wake of several scandals in the non-profit sector, were concerned about authenticity in the charitable acts and good deeds of their peers. Contextualised within the sociology of youth on social media, such findings indicate difficulties for non-profits online, as wider social media behaviour shapes the reception of charity.Less
This chapter examines young people's perception and experiences of charity and voluntary action online, and what the implications of these practices might be. Findings show that despite the supposedly globalised nature of social media connections, friends and family still drive young people's giving online. Young participants report awkwardness about asking for donations and feeling that they may be ‘guilt tripping’ others into giving by requesting donations from friends. They also worry that talking about charity online could be perceived as ‘showing off’ how good they were or ‘humblebragging’ in a faux presentation of goodness, and, in the wake of several scandals in the non-profit sector, were concerned about authenticity in the charitable acts and good deeds of their peers. Contextualised within the sociology of youth on social media, such findings indicate difficulties for non-profits online, as wider social media behaviour shapes the reception of charity.
