Something In Return Research Articles

The Significance of Money for the Cults and Sanctuaries of Demeter and Kore: The Shaping of the Cults by Commercial Transactions

The monetarization of the markets accelerated in the 5th century BCE led to the monetarization of the cults. The mercantile logic and money-oriented society shaped the transaction between the worshippers and the cults of Demeter. The relationship to deities was regulated by ‘do ut des’, i.e. one gives something so that the deity may give something in return. The epigraphic sources from the 5th and 4th centuries BCE give insight into the finances of the Eleusinian cult and illustrate the extent of monetarization of the cult of Demeter. Animal sacrifices, aparche, and priestly share were also partially replaced by money. Coins found at various sanctuaries of Demeter were deposited as votives and treasuries.

Effects of Gender and Stress on Altruism

Lending a helping hand to the person in need with or without expecting something in return is known as pro-social behavior and one of the motivation of pro-social behavior is helping others without any expectations of what you might get in return is Altruism. The present study attempt to determine a relation between an individual’s sex and display of altruistic behavior. Many studies have shown that male and female display different behavioral patterns these are influenced by the societal norms, stereotypes, culture and difference in upbringing. These factors also effect the altruistic behavior displayed by individuals of different sex. With the help of the present study the researcher tries to evaluate which sex is more prone to show altruism in their surroundings. The study also evaluates the effect of stress on altruism using Perceived Stress Scale. For the present study a sample size of 120 under-graduate college students (N=120; 60=males, 60=females) were drawn belonging to the age group of 19years- 23years which were evaluated through the Altruistic Personality Scale. The results highlight that altruistic behavior is more likely to be higher in females than males and people tend to show more altruistic behavior gestures while expressing stress in their lives to decrease the impact of negative emotions caused by it.

Facilitators and barriers for RhD-immunized women to become and remain anti-D donors.

The successful introduction of prophylaxis with anti-RhD immunoglobulin has resulted in a significant decline of pregnancy-related RhD immunizations but also has decreased the availability of naturally immunized women as (new) anti-D donors. An influx of new donors is necessary to maintain a sufficient pool of anti-D donors. We investigated motivators, barriers, and predictors for anti-D donorship in RhD-immunized women. A mixed-methods design was applied, including focus group discussions and questionnaires. Two focus groups (including 11 women) served as input for the questionnaire. In total, 47.6% of 750 anti-D donors and potential donors completed the questionnaire (50.4% donors; 38% nondonors; 11.6% former donors). Almost 70% of the nondonors would have become donors if they had known about the possibility. Travel time investment was reported as a disadvantage; one-half of donors mentioned no disadvantages. Motivators for anti-D donorship were "doing something in return" (31.2%) and "preventing others having a sick child or losing a child" (33.9%). In multivariable analysis, living single (odds ratio, 5.8; p = 0.02) and living partnered without resident children (odds ratio, 7.9; p = 0.03), compared with living partnered with children, were predictors for anti-D donorship. Not being registered as an organ donor (odds ratio, 0.25; p < 0.001) predicted that the individual would not be an anti-D donor. The main barrier for anti-D donorship was a lack of knowledge. Positive predictors of anti-D donorship were living without resident children, altruism, and being registered as an organ donor. A blood bank should develop targeted recruitment strategies with a focus on spreading knowledge about anti-D donorship among RhD-immunized women.

Analysis of food bank implementation as formal care assistance in Korea

PurposeIn contrast with countries where food banks (FBs) have developed as informal care, FBs in Korea developed under government patronage as a formal care system. However, the performance of FBs under the formal care approach has not yet been studied. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the quantity of food donation (QFD) and the variety of food donation (VFD) of FBs in Korea.Design/methodology/approachAspects of quantity of donations, variety of donations, and changes in the number of donors and recipients for Korean FBs were considered. Regression analysis and the Herfindahl-Hirschman index were employed for the analysis, and data were collected through on-site interviews in Korea and online information.FindingsKorean FBs were initially based on the concept of gift exchanges, with the expectation of receiving something in return, and thus did not employ the concept of real gifts or charity. Moreover, Korean FB development was compelled, as this exchange was enacted into law. Therefore, the QFD increased rapidly post the legislation of FBs, a fact not observed in other countries. The authors verified that the QFD and VFD in Korea increased significantly within a decade due to the government intervention.Research limitations/implicationsAspects such as satisfaction and the nutritional needs of FB beneficiaries are not investigated in detail.Originality/valueThe study found that global FBs, which are an inherently informal system, could also be successfully developed as a policy-based formal care system.

Crowdfunding: Financing Ventures in the Digital Era

Abstract Crowdfunding is a method of raising funds to support a venture, usually by raising small amounts from a large number of investors. Typically, a project creator posts a project on a platform seeking a certain amount of funds for some venture. Potential backers view the project and contribute money if they are convinced of the idea. In most cases, these backers receive something in return. Crowdfunding helps facilitate projects that would otherwise have fallen through the cracks. There are many success stories, but the average success rates are moderate. To succeed, it is necessary to manage the expectations of diverse stakeholders during the entire funding and development process. Success factors range from selecting the right platform to accurate communication all along the way. Prior experience helps, as well as a realistic assessment of the chances, so as not to disappoint the community.

De gepaste plaats van de vreemdeling: radicaalrechtse kiezers over integratie: gastheerlogica, moralisering en culturalisering

Vlaams Belang (VB) voters explicitly ask migrants to “adapt”. Using in-depth interviews, this research analyses how VB voters view integration and what they see as the ‘proper place for the foreigner’. Four strategies are used. First, VB voters advocate a privatisation of differences − the foreigner should keep deviant behavior to himself. Secondly, they argue for conformity in public spaces. Integration is taken as a unilateral imperative in which natives expect the compliance and loyalty of the Other. Doing so they refer to the notion of hospitality, confirming the power relationship between host and guest. The host takes the guest in, but expects something in return. The guest should earn his/her ‘citizenship’ through docile compliance. To confirm the sovereignty and authority of the host, two boundary-making strategies are used: moralisation and culturalisation. On the one hand, the Other is required to be a good, responsible and active citizen. On the other hand, differences are culturalised by referring to Islam as an antagonistic religion. The gradual difference is thus inflated into a non-integrable difference, aborting any realistic possibility for assimilation. The native (“own”) people stand vis-à-vis the stranger, who is confronted with inflating conditions in which, for part of the VB electorate, the conditional integration tips over towards a categorical closure. For our analysis, we rely on in-depth interviews with 37 VB voters, conducted in Antwerp, Brasschaat and Schoten in 2004.

“We’re giving you something so we get something in return”: Perspectives on research participation and compensation among people living with HIV who use drugs

BackgroundCompensation for participating in research has been a fundamental element of the research apparatus despite concerns about its impact on incentivising participation. Researchers and research ethics boards acknowledge that compensation may prompt structurally vulnerable populations, such as people who use drugs (PWUD), to engage in research primarily out of financial need. Thus, institutional restrictions around compensation have been implemented. This study explores the ethical implications of compensation practices aimed at ‘protecting’ structurally vulnerable people living with HIV (PLHIV) who use drugs within the context of individuals’ lived realities. MethodsWe draw on five focus groups conducted in 2011 with 25 PLHIV who use drugs and access a community-based HIV care facility in Vancouver, Canada. This analysis focused on participants’ perceptions of research compensation, which became the central point of discussion in each group. ResultsParticipants viewed research as a transactional process through which they could challenge the underpinnings of bioethics and bargain for compensation. Research compensation was thus critical to attracting participants and positioned as a ‘legitimate’ form of income. Participants’ medicalised identities, specifically living with HIV, were fundamental to justifying compensation. The type of compensation (e.g. gift card, cash) also significantly impacted whether participants were fully compensated and, at times, served to exacerbate their structural vulnerability. ConclusionResearch compensation is critical in shaping structurally vulnerable populations’ participation and experiences with research and can further marginalize individuals. Practices surrounding research compensation, particularly for drug-using and HIV-positive populations, need to be evaluated to ensure participants are equitably compensated for the expertise they provide.

Cutting the Gordian Knot of Communication Research

This article argues that the perceived deficiencies of Communication Research are not due to derivative research, but result from the inappropriate application of paradigmatic thinking to the field. Instead, I advance the view that paradigmatic incommensurability should not be thought of as disciplinary ships passing in the night, but rather a bustling port where disparate ideas and theories meet and propagate. Beginning with a brief discussion of Kuhn and paradigms, I use the sub-field of Framing as a synecdoche for Communication Research to exemplify the utility that stems from theoretical cross-pollination. In conclusion, embracing perspectives from competing communicative traditions is an invaluable basis for solving real world problems, and a legitimate praxis through which Communication Research can return something of value to society.

Renaming restoration: conceptualizing and justifying the activity as a restoration of lost moral value rather than a return to a previous state

A significant percentage of contemporary restoration work, while informed by history, aims for a novel state rather than an exact simulacrum of any particular historical state. However, the lay definition of “restoration” is to return something to its original state, and this influences public perceptions—and perhaps perceptions inside the field—about what the goals of restoration are. Relying on history to justify the proposed end state of a restoration project is problematic because of climate change, knowledge gaps, and the fact that ecosystems are dynamic and have no single historical state. Restorationists should be open to discussing whether the name of their field is inaccurate and considering alternatives. The process productively forces them to think about, articulate, and justify their values. One possible outcome of this process is a redefinition of “restoration” to mean a restoration of moral value rather than a restoration of a historical state. Restorationists will need to be comfortable talking about choices, intentions, values, and justifications in a world where historical fidelity no longer reigns supreme.

Forging Connections

Forging Connections

The Need to Give Gratuitously: A Relevant Concept Anchored in Catholic Social Teaching to Envision the Consumer Behavior

The “gift exchange theory” articulated by Marcel Mauss, along with his core concept of a threefold obligation (giving/receiving/returning), is the dominant theoretical framework used to explain the majority of gift issues in marketing. This perspective assumes that some interest always lies behind gifts, such that a gift always implies a counterpart of receiving something in return. Despite the relevance of this approach in understanding the day-to-day consumer behavior, this paper presents empirical cases where the consumer is also able to give freely, that is to say without implying a counterpart or even expecting it. To explain those empirical cases, we mobilize a key teaching of the Catholic Church: the “gratuitous gift” and then introduce the concept of the “need to give.” We show that gratuitousness is a relevant concept to understand most of gifts made by consumers, and we develop the normative aspect of gratuitous gift for ethical marketers (i.e., what ethical marketers should consider to understand consumers properly and in a more humanistic way). We also show that Catholic Social Teaching offers an appropriate anthropology to understand consumer behaviors motivated by this need for gratuitousness. To conclude, we propose further avenues of research.

What Do the Various Principles of Justice Mean Within the Concept of Benefit Sharing?

The concept of benefit sharing pertains to the act of giving something in return to the participants, communities, and the country that have participated in global health research or bioprospecting activities. One of the key concerns of benefit sharing is the ethical justifications or reasons to support the practice of the concept in global health research and bioprospecting. This article evaluates one of such ethical justifications and its meaning to benefit sharing, namely justice. We conducted a systematic review to map the various principles of justice that are linked to benefit sharing and analysed their meaning to the concept of benefit sharing. Five principles of justice (commutative, distributive, global, procedural, and compensatory) have been shown to be relevant in the nuances of benefit sharing in both global health research and bioprospecting. The review findings indicate that each of these principles of justice provides a different perspective for a different benefit sharing rationale. For example, commutative justice provides a benefit sharing rationale that is focused on fair exchange of benefits between research sponsors and communities. Distributive justice produces a benefit sharing rationale that is focused on improving the health needs of the vulnerable research communities. We have suggested that a good benefit sharing framework particularly in global health research would be more beneficial if it combines all the principles of justice in its formulation. Nonetheless, there is a need for empirical studies to examine the various principles of justice and their nuances in benefit sharing among stakeholders in global health research.

Social reciprocity as a critical success factor for small and mid-size enterprises: Work relationships as reflections of social exchange structures

1. Problem and methodSmall and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) face several challenges: For example, the shortage of skilled workers and demographic change can both have an adverse effect on the formation of internal work relationships. The willingness of employees to contribute to a given SME, to perform to the best of their ability, and especially to commit to a long-term working relationship with their employers may represent yet another major challenge. In relationships between employers and employees, which are all too often characterized by vagueness, both parties have to ensure an advance performance. The willingness to do so is likely to increase with the quality of the social relationship. The empirical study by Baron, Burton, and Hannan (1996) shows that money, love and work are central determinants for good work relationships. This study aimed to show that in SMEs, a functional social community can be of greater importance than monetary incentives and that violations of social reciprocity norms have an adverse effect on work relationships. In this article, we consider how reciprocal exchange relations can be fostered and how and to what extent constructions of social reciprocity contribute to this process. We show that especially establishing social exchange structures significantly improves the quality of work relationships.In the empirical part of this study, we examine the phenomena under consideration with the help of selected case studies. We propose several assumptions, and these allow us to conduct a focused investigation of complex environments such as those of SMEs while simultaneously providing us with opportunities to consider and integrate connections that have not been regarded to be relevant. The preliminary theoretical considerations provide the framework of the study. In contrast to a mono-theoretical analysis, which allows only for an interpretation of a given phenomenon in light of theory used, the observation of central mechanisms (Elster, 1989, and fundamentally Bunge, 1967) offers the distinct advantage of providing a more comprehensive explanation of the evidences that are observed.2. Work relationships in SMEsAs Martin (2006) rightly points out, a work relationship is first and foremost a social relationship. A work relationship is also an exchange relationship. The two parties, employer and employee, do not act entirely altruistically (and in classic economic models, altruism is completely excluded) as they aim to bestow the expected rewards for performances on each other. Working relationships are, however, also characterized by asymmetrical exchange relations. Performances and rewards cannot be precisely located in temporal, spatial or content terms. The interests of employers and employees can, however, be explained by the theory by Bernard (1938), which was further developed by March and Simon (1958). According to Barnard, the situation of an organisation is always precarious and its survival only guaranteed by safeguarding the fragile balance between stimuli and contributions. The evaluation of the stimuluscontribution-relation is based not only on the actual performance of the players but also on the interpretation of the performance and an assessment of the situation. These kinds of assessment may lead to conflict and strain. What is significant for the functionality of the organisation is if, and in what form, the players invest time and ef- fort because they will get something in return, which is supported institutionally. Employees can rest assured that the organization values their contributions. In their study, Martin and Bartscher-Finzer (1998) identify work satisfaction as the goal of this exchange for employees and the commitment of the employees as that of the employers.The basic conditions for this kind of exchange are not being constantly renegotiated in a work relationship; instead, there are structures that facilitate the process of exchange. …

Burke/Anti-Burke: A Response to J. Hillis Miller

My dictionary tells me that ‘response’ comes either from Old French or Latin, meaning ‘something offered in return’. In this form– ‘response’ – the English adapts the past participle of the Latin of the verb ‘to respond’. This I find appears as a noun in late Middle English, derived from the Old French, respondre, to answer, and from the Latin respondere, signifying ‘to pledge’ (spondere) ‘again’ (re-). The noun precedes the verb, which arrives relatively late in the sixteenth century. A response therefore names an act that is in its gesture performative. For in responding, I offer something in return. In return for what? In this case, I offer words, in the form of an extended answer, to the implied – and equally extended – call that is the article by J. Hillis Miller, ‘How to Read the Derridas: Indexing moi et moi, Der und Der, me and me, this one and that one’. Miller calls. I take up the call and respond. In responding, in offering something – an answer – in return – to a call – I make a commitment. The response is always a pledge. I pledge myself to answer, without knowing if the answer I give will be adequate, the right answer – if there is such a thing – or if Miller will have heard and responded in turn to the answer that you have before you and which you are reading (whatever that word, reading, means). This is though, no simple call and response. It is not only – if it is even this – a process analogous to the call and response in music: a succession of two distinct phrases, that basic musical element, in which one voice answers another, offering a counterpoint, as in the example of the exposition of a Fugue. Miller’s is not, to continue my musical analogy, the originating statement, after which a second voice is introduced,

What are Iranian married women's rewards? Using interpersonal exchange model of sexual satisfaction: a qualitative study

Besides sexual pleasure, the Iranian married women have different reasons for sex. According to Interpersonal Exchange Model of Sexual Satisfaction in sexual interaction, women give something and get something in return, but what it is that Iranian married women attain? How can we explain their rewards by interpersonal exchange model? Can “values” be called rewards?This study was undertaken to determine Iranian married women's rewards in sex by using the interpersonal exchange model of sexual satisfaction, and with regard to the cultural values among a sample of Iranian married women.Thirty-four participants were recruited through purposive sampling of married women in Tehran; the data collection consisted of semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus groups. Conventional content analysis was used to analyze the data. The results are reported in four themes to present the participants' rewards in their sex. The themes consist of (1) meeting the physical needs of the couple; (2) strengthening couple emotional relationships; (3) taking control of life; and (4) values and beliefs governing the sexual relationship.Using a qualitative research, Iranian married women's rewards in sex were determined. Our findings highlight the potential role of cultural values in reducing dissatisfaction with one's sex life.

Attitude, knowledge and perception of the altruistic donation of blood in a city in Northeastern Mexico

ObjectivesTo identify the causes due to which potential blood donors do not make voluntary donations: lack of knowledge, attitude, and the perception of blood donations as unwholesome. Materials and methodsWe conducted a transversal, observational, descriptive, prospective, and a survey-based study of 435 subjects in Monterrey, Mexico in November of 2011. Results135 (31%) subjects were already donors, of which only 16 (3.6%) did it altruistically. Of the total amount of subjects, 161 (37%) were associated with some benefits from donating blood, 154 (35%) identified some kind of damage, the most mentioned was transmission of diseases with 77 (50%) mentions. The most common cause of refusal toward donation was “saving blood for a relative in need” with 137 (33%) mentions. Of the subjects surveyed, 55% (n=240) refer having very few thoughts for donating blood voluntarily. Also, 360 (86%) subjects will donate without expecting something in return. Finally, 348 (80%) subjects do not remember seeing or hearing any kind of promotional information about altruistic blood donation. ConclusionsA great deal of people will donate blood altruistically without receiving any reward for doing so. 80% of the subjects do not remember seeing or hearing any kind of advertisement for blood donation which is proof of lack of adequate publicity. The analysis of perception of damages or benefits from blood donation will help in the development of more focused blood donation campaigns.

Scope and characteristics of obesity prevention initiatives in Australia 2013

Attempts to change individuals’ behaviour take many and varied forms, including ‘upstream’ approaches, such as laws and regulations, and ‘downstream’ approaches, such as information and education campaigns. At the heart of these behaviour change strategies is the notion of exchange—people do things to get something in return or to avoid losing something. Incentivising behaviour change is a downstream strategy that involves explicitly drawing attention to the shortterm gains that can be attained by compliance with the recommended behaviour. Incentivising firmly acknowledges the importance of ‘‘What’s in it for me?’’ from the individual’s perspective and involves identifying relevant behavioural triggers. Programs are then developed to offer attractive and appropriate rewards for compliance with recommended behaviours. In the context of health, this strategy is becoming increasingly apparent in the health and life insurance industries. Comprehensive reward programs are being developed and offered to new and existing members. These programs act as both a source of competitive advantage relative to competitors’ offerings and a means of reducing long-term operating costs by improving members’ health. Rather than relying on complex cognitive processing of particular health problems (e.g., obesity), the possible consequences of these problems (e.g., increased risk of disease and reduced mortality), and the actions required to avoid the condition (e.g., physical activity, nutrition, and sleep), incentives work by focusing individuals’ attention on small, manageable actions and the positive outcomes that can accrue from undertaking them. The aim is therefore to bypass the often-flawed assumptions of rational decision making, and instead to cater to more emotional and hedonic needs. This presentation will outline the principles of behavioural economics that underlie the practice of incentivising and discuss these in the light of current trends in the insurance sector.

Own Your Career: Tips and Ideas for the Search

Own Your Career: Tips and Ideas for the Search

Phylogeography of Neotropical trees

Special issue editorial. Freely available on the publisher's website - access full text via the Official URL link.

Take the Gift of My Child and Return Something to Me: On Children, Chagga Trust, and a New American Evangelical Orphanage on Mount Kilimanjaro

AbstractThis essay examines local and international Christian efforts on Mount Kilimanjaro to educate children. A prevailing idea among people who live on the mountain is that children engender trust and trade. This idea is illuminated through the adage ‘Take the gift of my child and return something to me’ and is embedded in the concept of Chagga trust. The latter is both an ethical mode and a social entity. Local ideas of children and trust partly overlap with but also differ from American evangelical missionaries’ views of children as needing to be safeguarded. Analysis of differences reveals that while religious missions have long played a role in providing education, the dynamics of privatization have changed the manner in which local leaders and international missionaries interact. Previous interactions were regular and routine; today’s are fewer, more contractual, and more formalized. The analysis presented here broadens and qualifies existing research that simply states that evangelicalism and the privatization of education helps the poor.