Gratitude and Attitude: A Note on Emotional Welfare

Gift or commodity: what changes hands in the U.S. garage sale?

“…22 The ambiguity of treating garage sale goods as gifts or commodities because of the token payment allows those, such as single mothers, who are at a status disadvantage to save face. This is similar to the token payments Stein (1989) reports in the used goods "shop" attached to a soup kitchen; asking the impoverished recipients of necessities such as fans or clothing for token payment allows the buyers to construct their transaction as getting a bargain instead of a handout. In this sense, as in Davis's (1992:54-56) example of the "disemic" (Herzfeld 1987) constructions of Trobriand urigubu, nominal payments in the garage sale arena allow both parties latitude for interpretation; in this case the actors can view the transaction as commercial and nonbinding while disguising the degree to which it is actually an act of giving.…”

“…One older woman said of her generosity to others, "It's not charity, it's just giving." In organized charity, the giver is generally of a higher social class than the receiver (Collins 1988;Ostrander 1984;Stein 1989); thus, charitable institutions (re)create and reinforce markers of social stratification. Collins (1988:43-44) observes that charity is readily converted into status, particularly by the middleand upper-class "ladies bountiful."…”

Giving thanks: the relational context of gratitude in postgraduate supervision

“…For example, Baron (1984) showed that when an arguer expressed gratitude (compared to no expression of gratitude), participants involved in disagreements had better moods, better impressions of the arguer, and increased use of constructive conflict strategies. Stein's (1989) study of food pantries and soup kitchens found that failure to perceive gratefulness provoked anger amongst those who had expected gratitude. Clinical studies also suggest that psychoanalysts (e.g.…”

Serving Up Sermons

“…Two studies of emergency food programs found that volunteers fostered animosity in their interactions with clients because of their unequal relationship as charitable giver and receiver (Poppendieck, 1998;Stein, 1989). This asymmetrical relationship often reflected deeper social class and status differences between clients and volunteers (Stein, 1989). Thus, differences in class and status between worker and client may be an alternative to professionalization as a mechanism creating antagonistic relations between volunteers and clients.…”

“…However, researchers have found that at least in their attitudes toward clients, volunteers are more similar to professionals than previously expected (Karl, 1998). Two studies of emergency food programs found that volunteers fostered animosity in their interactions with clients because of their unequal relationship as charitable giver and receiver (Poppendieck, 1998;Stein, 1989). This asymmetrical relationship often reflected deeper social class and status differences between clients and volunteers (Stein, 1989).…”