Complexity of Dyadic Gift-Giving Forms: A New Framework

Abstract

This chapter illuminates the complexity of dyadic gift-giving by identifying new forms of dyadic gift-giving and their links to givers’ relationship-maintenance goals. For this, we employ Attachment Theory which addresses humans’ need to be close to significant others (Bowlby 1969). Gift-giving is often identified as a mechanism to manage important but insecure relationships (Caplow 1982), which occurs within significant interpersonal relationships (Ruth 1996). Considering this, and that the UK gift market is worth £40 billion (Mintel 2013), it is important to understand how relationships operate as antecedents to gift-giving. Traditionally gift-giving has been assumed to be an aggregate of dyadic exchange rituals, thus leaving many dimensions of gift-giving unexplored (Giesler 2006). Recent research (e.g. Weinberger and Wallendorf 2012) has acknowledged the need to analyse gift-giving structures other than the giver–receiver dyad. The inherent assumption concerning dyadic gifts is that givers give only to maintain their relationship with the receiver, which neglects the link between the dyad and their networks (Parks et al. 1983). This limits the understanding of dyadic gift-giving forms and the relationship-maintenance goals of givers through gift-giving.