Title

Can't Buy Me Love: Dating, Money, and Gifts.

Authors

Belk, Russell W.; Coon, Gregory S.

Abstract

The article presents a historical perspective and qualitative data on the intersection of the material, the sexual and the romantic in the dating practices of college students in the United States. Both expenditures of money and gift-giving are symbolic communication media. Gifts are given to express interest, gratitude and sincerity, to exercise power, to apologize and to please a date. Recipients in turn react with discounting, resentment, guilt, disappointment, joy and feeling of self-affirmation depending upon the giver and the nature of the gift. Dating is an important context for further research on gift-giving and consumption expenditures.

Subjects

GIFTS; GIFT giving; DATING (Social customs); SOCIAL interaction; CEREMONIAL exchange; MANNERS & customs; COLLEGE students; CONSUMER research; CONSUMER behavior

Publication

Advances in Consumer Research, 1991, Vol 18, Issue 1, p521

ISSN

0098-9258

Publication type

Conference Proceeding