Giving Behaviours and Social Cohesion

'It is about time that economists - and other social scientists - go beyond material aspects and seriously study interpersonal relationships such as giving and informal work. And Lorna Zischka does this by providing an excellent overview of the existing literature and by contributing important empirical analyses.'

- Bruno S. Frey, CREMA - Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts, Switzerland

Relationships between people are known to impact our quality of life, and the cohesive nature of those relationships can be evaluated by the time and money that people put into them. In this book, Lorna Zischka explores ways in which a person s willingness to 'give' both reflects and generates social cohesion.

Zischka draws together two distinct bodies of literature; on social capital and on generosity, as well as analysing UK data to reveal the strong links between 'giving' patterns and community cohesion. Reacting to the needs and interests of others brings communities together, building positive relationships and enabling people to work together more effectively.

Welfare policy can be improved by directing attention to the relationships that underlie 'giving', and as such this book is an important read for community development practitioners and policy makers. Finding out if a programme stimulates more people to 'give' represents a measurable goal that has a tangible impact on social cohesion. This is also a valuable read for social science scholars wishing to explore the feedback loops between thriving communities and the act of 'giving'.