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Essay / Why Charity Matters: Motivations and Implications of Charity charityThe effect of age on charityThe effect of education on charityThe effect of religion on charityPossible problems of charityWhy charity is important: the benefits of charityLiterature reviewConclusionReferencesIntroductionIn modern society, charity is exercised in various forms. Individual charity, which any person can engage in, usually takes forms such as almsgiving, volunteering, contributions to charitable funds, and participation in various charitable events. Private charity, today carried out by entrepreneurs and commercial organizations, can take the form of artistic patronage, patronage, subsidies or the creation of charitable foundations. The state also provides assistance to needy people in the form of guardianship, but there is no consensus in the literature whether such activities of state structures can be considered charitable. Nowadays, charitable foundations that can be established in commercial sectors and third sector companies (non-profit and non-governmental organizations) are increasingly involved in charity. Understanding why charity is important is crucial to fostering a more compassionate and supportive society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Charitable foundations are divided into private, corporate, and community foundations. Private funds are created with funds received from individuals, which are stored in banks or placed in stocks, and the capital income is used for charitable purposes. Corporate foundations are also donor organizations that create and fund companies to run their charitable programs. These funds are not independent, unlike private and community foundations, they depend directly on the objectives and priorities that the company sets. Community foundations are foundations created to solve problems in a particular area. These funds accumulate funds to solve these problems from various sources, from private donations from the population to funds from municipal budgets. Types of Internal and External Motivations Overall, motivation can be induced by internal and external stimuli. The first category is a type of motivation in which the initiating and regulating factors come from personal consciousness and are fully integrated into the behavior itself. On the other hand, external motivation is motivation in which the factors affecting a person's behavior are external to the person's consciousness or behavior. By comparing intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, the former can be sustainable and autonomous. Typically, external motivation is used to achieve results that cannot be achieved through internal motivation (Ryan and Deci, 2000). In addition to external motivations for charitable giving, which may be material rewards, tax reductions, or creating a good reputation, there are internal motivations for being a donor, such as a feeling of importance. of this type of activity, the inherent interest, the satisfaction. , and altruistic motivations.Motives of charityDifferent researchers discuss the true motivations of donors. So, for example,a link has been found between charitable behavior and personality traits such as extroversion, integrity and social coherence (Nettle and Liddle, 2008), a relationship with a tendency towards empathy (Eisenberg, Miller, 1987 ), a good mood combined with an emphasis on others (Gibbons, Wicklund, 1982), the importance of values such as religiosity (Clary, Snyder, 1991; Omoto, Snyder, 1993), the influence of factors situational (Latane, Darley, 1970) and the components of motivation, such as the feeling of personal contribution and positive emotions (Andreoni, 1989; 1990; Ribar, Wilhelm, 2002). As a result of the studies, Zhukov (Zhukov, 2002) grouped donor motives into three main categories: 1) charity as a moral attitude of the donor (public duty, personal knowledge of the problems of people who need help and understanding of the need for state support in the field of culture, science and education), 2) emotional reactions (compassion, pity and internal desire to help those in need) and 3) practical benefits (creating a positive image of the company, advertising, improving relations with authorities and creating a good reputation for yourself).Economic aspects of charityIn the macroeconomic aspect, charity is an independent mechanism of the state for the redistribution of private funds in the interests of the implementation of socially useful programs. This is a kind of voluntary taxation mechanism in which “taxes” are paid voluntarily and not to the centralized “budget”, but directly to the budget of the program executor. A charitable resource can take any form: money, services, property or labor. An important feature of charity is that, in addition to benefiting a specific person or group of people, it is socially beneficial in general, in other words, individual assistance to a specific person is at the same time a assistance to the whole of society. The entire society benefits from one particular person winning. This is possible if only the well-being of this person is a subject of public concern, the function and responsibility of society, the state and self-government, that is, each member of the company bears the burden of insuring it. The Effect of Income Level on CharityA positive correlation between income level and the amount of charitable donations was found. In the United States, for example, Auten and Rudney, using federal income tax data for the years 1971-1975 (Auten, Rudney 1990), studied this phenomenon. Furthermore, Jones and Posnett studied the expenditure of British families from the same point of view (Jones, Posnett 1991). Researchers were interested in both the degree of involvement in donations and the magnitude of contributions. This study showed that commitment reflects the influence of education, gender and position prestige, however, the level of donations is only sensitive to the level of family income. Family income, according to these authors, is a variable from which we can predict the total amount of donations. Tax Benefits Let us now consider the factor of granting tax benefits to donors. Studies have long been conducted to explore the relationship between donation amounts and benefits. In one of the first studies on this topic, Rice concluded that charitable tax deductions are an important factor in determining the level of down payments (Reece 1979). Several recent studies have clarified and confirmed the findings of this scientist in accordance with modern tax laws (Peloza, Steel 2005). In contrast, Bradley, Holden, and McClelland showed that retail tax breaksdo not always affect the amount of contributions (Bradley, Holden, McClelland 2005). Although there is no further evidence of this phenomenon, this fact can be considered a change in the area of donor motivation. The Effect of Gender on Charity In a number of scientific works, researchers have shown gender differences in the level of participation in charitable works. (Odendah 1990; Havens, O'Herlihy, Schervish 2006). Some studies show that men give more, while women do so more often (Jackson, Latané 1981; Weyant 1984; Andreoni, Brown, Rischall 2003; Bekkers 2004; Giving UK 2005). National philanthropic surveys in the United States (Hodgkinson, Weitzman 1992; 1994; 1996; Kirsh, Hume, Jalnadoni 1999) showed that women were more likely than men to advocate for contributions to the nonprofit sector. Thus, according to a 1991 survey, the differences were 74% among women compared to 70% among men; in 1993, 76 versus 70% respectively; in 1995 - 71 against 65%; in 1998 - 73 against 67%. M. Capeck objected to the attribution of gender differences too great, but considering the cases of transfer of inheritance rights, she nevertheless found that the number of unmarried women leaving a will in favor of charity far exceeds the Many of those who act in this way are men (44 versus 32%) (Capek 2005). Eckel and Grossman, using an experimental approach, found that women are generally more altruistic than men (Eckel and Grossman 1998). On the contrary, Bolton and Katok, also relying on experimental studies, wrote about the absence of any difference in charitable participation between men and women (Bolton, Katok 1995). Meanwhile, Andreoni and Vesterlund proposed an explanation for these contradictory results and showed that men tend to be more generous than women when the contribution is less, that is, the loss is less painful for the donor, while women are more likely to give when the contribution is lower. the price of the contribution is relatively high (Andreoni, Vesterlund 2001). In summary, these authors argue that women, compared to men, are more interested in justice and equality, this consideration is consistent with the hypothesis that women are more socially oriented than men. Despite the fact that there is ample evidence, there is no consistent and reliable general theory about the influence of gender on the level of participation in charity. The Effect of Age on CharityAnother factor traditionally considered in studies of private charity. is the age of the donor. Its importance is understandable, since age characterizes the stages of the life cycle and, therefore, to a certain extent reflects the stability of the situation and financial capabilities of a person. Summarizing the results of various studies, Bekkers and Wiepking conclude that the usual conclusion regarding the relationship between age and the amount of donations is positive, but with a diminishing effect (Bekkers, Wiepking 2010: 4). Some authors write that a positive effect is observed up to age 75 (Hodgkinson, Weitzman 1996; Andreoni 2001), after which there is a decrease, others note such a decrease from age 65 (Landry, Lange, Price, Rupp 2006). .The effect of education on charityPhilanthropic researchers also pay great attention to the role of education. Based on data from Western countries, it has been shown that more educated individuals show a greater propensity to donate and, all else being equal, give relatively large amounts of money.important. For example, Banks and Tanner found that in the United Kingdom, college graduates are more likely to participate in charitable work. Comparing two categories of people who are identical in every way except that some of them graduated from college and others only graduated from school, it was found that college graduates are 11% more likely to donate (Banks, Tanner 1999: 175). According to the same study, the amount of donations of people with higher education is also significantly higher: they give 80% more to charity than their non-certified colleagues. In the analysis of household charitable activities, Yen also finds a similar relationship between education level and charity. After analyzing data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey of 1995, he comes to the following conclusion: the intention to engage in charity occurs in families that have a high level of income and are headed by adults and educated people (Yen 2002: 839). Banks, Tanner, and Yen use a similar econometric methodology to analyze the relationship between educational attainment and charitable activities and recognize the impact of variables such as age and income on educational attainment. That is why it is difficult to analyze the relationship between education and charity, without taking into account the mutual influence of all indicators. The effect of religion on charityThe results of studies on massive private donations demonstrate the great importance of the religious factor. In the sociology of religion, there is an abundant literature on the relationships between religious activities and donations (Wuthnow 1991; Jackson, Bachmeier, Wood, Craft 1995). Additionally, the role of religion in the implementation of philanthropic practices is studied in other scientific disciplines. A positive relationship between church attendance and philanthropy is noted in almost every article devoted to the study of this issue. The religious factor explains a lot both in the motivation of philanthropic behavior and in the selection of objects of donor support. For example, using data from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, researchers found that more than three-quarters of donations made by Americans with incomes of $50,000 or more go to religious organizations (Anft, Lipman 2003). Additionally, as Steinberg and Wilhelm have shown, donations to religious organizations are made by 21% of Americans who profess no religion (Steinberg, Wilhelm 2003). It is important to note that the authors excluded from this analysis respondents who did not disclose information about their religion or who had difficulty answering this question. In interpreting these data, the mentioned authors hypothesize that charity, as such, is associated with a religion, which in itself encourages people who do not profess any religion to make donations, and that those who profess any religion are ready to give much more.Possible problems in charityDespite the fact that charity is a popular phenomenon nowadays, not all countries have a well-structured system. Let's take the example of Russia and highlight some problems in the field of charity. The main ones are 1) a taxation system unfavorable to donors; If it were legally approved for funds allocated to charity to be applied to business expenses, thereby reducing taxable profits, then there would be many more contributions and donations. For example, the United States became the first country in the world to make charity beneficial when in 1921 the amount of taxes on the donated amount was reduced, 2) aunstable economic situation, which at any time can turn into losses and lead to unforeseen expenses. and investments. Therefore, one must always have a reserve to cover losses, and 3) distrust of public bodies. This may be due to the fact that everyone clearly remembers the troubled times of Perestroika, when a large number of fraudulent companies were created. Why Charity Matters: The Benefits of Charity Overall, there are two views on the interdependence of a person's level of happiness and their attitude. to charity. The first is to claim that people help others become happier. Elizabeth Dunn, professor at the University of British Columbia and co-author of the book Happy Money, proved that happiness depends not only on income but also on expenses. So, out of 600 people surveyed, regardless of their income level, those who indicated donations to charity as expenses were considered happier. (Dunn and Norton, 2014). Subsequently, scientists compared the level of happiness in two states as different in economic and social terms as Canada and Uganda. The results were confirmed: people felt happier when they spent prosocially rather than on themselves. Thus, the emotional benefits of helping others are inherent to all human beings, regardless of their social status and economic well-being. (Aknin et al., 2013). Additionally, an analysis of the survey across 130 different countries showed that financial generosity is one of the top six predictors of life satisfaction worldwide. The second view on the dependence of happiness and charity is that happy people donate more actively. In 1972, Isen and Levin demonstrated that happiness increased giving, that is, participants were more likely to help others after experiencing positive events, such as receiving cookies. Literature review Theoretical and methodological foundations of the study served as fundamental concepts and hypotheses presented in the classical and modern works of researchers. PracticalThe importance of the study lies in the fact that it develops and complements the theoretical and methodological basis of the study of charity by establishing the peculiarities of this activity, revealing the importance of the basic ideas of socio- economics of charitable organizations. The main provisions, conclusions and recommendations proposed in the dissertation research can be used for the effective development of charitable organizations. Especially if we know what motivates people to participate in any type of charity, we can actually increase donations. The majority of existing research focuses only on a particular area, for example charitable giving in the United Kingdom, Russia and the United States. This work is based on collecting information and identifying similarities and differences from around the world. The following survey includes a questionnaire with people from different countries. This can add a deeper understanding of pure donor motivations to already existing research. In addition, the interviews will be based on interviews with a woman from a charity organization in Russia and with the director of the “Public Opinion” foundation, who is a sociologist, so she will help us by providing an analysis of the organization's participants charitable. .Keep in mind: This is just a sample.Get a custom paper from our expert writers now.Get a custom essayConclusionFrankly speaking, the current socio-economic situation in,.
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