The Science of Generosity Causes, Manifestations, and Consequences

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.

Chapter 1. Introduction: From Disparate to Integrated.- Chapter 2.  The Manifestations of Generosity: From Cooperation to Social Justice.- Chapter 3. The Causes of Generosity: From Attachment to Cultural Solidarity.- Chapter 4. The Consequences of Generosity: From the Interpersonal to the Collective.- Chapter 5. The Interdisciplinary Study of Generosity: The Sum Is Greater Than Its Parts.- Chapter 6. Conclusion: Benefiting the Collective Good.

Patricia Snell Herzog is Melvin Simon Chair and Associate Professor in the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, USA. She received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Notre Dame. Herzog’s interests include social scientific investigations of charitable giving, youth and emerging adults, and religiosity, including the books American Generosity: Who Gives and Why (2016) and Souls in Transition: The Religious Lives of Emerging Adults in America (2009).