But in recent years, the disparity between male and female attitudes about the importance of keeping or giving money has narrowed. Yet, there are consistent differences in male and female attitudes about altruism.
[Women] are more likely than men to list altruism as one of their life goals. For forty years, the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California (Los Angeles) has conducted an annual survey of the attitudes and preferences of college freshman. Since the mid-1960s when the survey began, the sexes have become more alike in their answers. For example, in 1966, only 30 percent of freshman females said that “being very well off financially” was essential or very important to them. For men, the 1966 figure was 53 percent – a 23-point difference. By 2004, the gap had narrowed to 3 points (72 percent of females counted financial success as essential compared to 75 percent of men). However, despite this convergence, there is one major, persistent disparity between male and female respondents that has not been affected by the dramatic social changes of the past four decades. Approximately two-thirds of women say “helping others who are in difficulty” is an essential or very important life objective, compared to only half of the men. In 2004, for example, 70 percent of female freshman identified helping others as essential; for men it was 53 percent (a 17-point gap). In 1966, the gap was nearly the same – 19 points.
4 comments:
My personal experience is that generosity is not gender-related. In fact, between my two adult children, my son has always had the more generous heart.
Deborah:
That's interesting. We have a son and a daughter and both are generous, but in different ways.
This difference in generosity goes to a fact uncovered by the church sociologist, Lyle Schaller: People give from different pockets. In other words, people might say they can't afford to give to the Boys and Girls Club, but can to the church general fund. Do they have sufficient resources to make a gift to the one as well as to the other? Probably. But they don't have metaphorical "pockets" full of money for some causes and do for others.
When people turn down a charity, they shouldn't be condemned for a lack of generosity. The key for each of us to becoming generous people, I think, is in finding those causes that unlock our pockets.
Of course, Christians, as I will be talking about this weekend in our worship celebrations, are called to generosity (in time and talents as well as treasures) as a means of expressing love for God, love for our Christian sisters and brothers, and love for the world as a whole.
I think that the research mentioned in the 'In Character' article does highlight a disturbing trend among those of us in the middle class and higher in America: We appear to be less inclined to generous giving from any of our pockets and more motivated by the acquisition, as well as by the maintenance of wealth, than ever before. In many ways, it's harder to give when you have a lot than when you have little. The more money we have, the more we inflate its value and the more dependent we are on it.
As always, thanks for stopping by and for your comments, Deborah. Have a great weekend and God bless!
Mark
Differing levels of generosity among people is a fascinating topic. As always, thanks for a great post, Mark.
My son has been forgiven a lot in his 27 years, and seems to developed a wonderfully forgiving and generous heart because of it.
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Will be a rough weekend. My 77 year old mother-in-law is extremely ill, and has been hospitalized for two weeks. Ron is flying to Reno this weekend to spend a few days, tending to his father and visiting his mother. They've been married for 55 years. His dad is a wreck, and in denial.
Typical baby boomer responsibilities with aging parents, but painful, nonetheless.
We're packing to move in two weeks (just a couple miles), so I can't get away, also.
Thanks for the blessings. Same to you.
I will keep your whole family in my prayers!
Mark
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