Not Miser Not Monk: Begging, Benefits and the Free Gift

Tom Hall

Sociological Research Online, 2005, vol. 10, issue 4, 35-44

Abstract: This article considers the idea of the ‘free’ gift, in particular relation to begging and the receipt of social security benefit and in reference to ethnographic research with the homeless in London and the South East of England. The article draws attention to the potential for both ‘dole money’ and spare change to signify, socially, in ways which wound. This is to recognise the Maussian connotations and moral framing to contemporary exchanges which mark out people as poor, even where the intention might be to give freely.

Keywords: Begging; Benefits; Deservingness; Friends; Gifts; Strangers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2005
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socres:v:10:y:2005:i:4:p:35-44

DOI: 10.5153/sro.1205

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