From Strangers to Family

Abstract

Gift giving is an important element in various cultures, systems, and dyadic relationships. Multiple facets of gifting, mainly relational, have been examined in the realm of consumer research. In the context of a non-commercial elderly-student home share program, 'Housing for Help', this study extends our understanding about the progression of relationship types and exchange dynamics in the field of gift giving. Drawing on Sahlins' (1972) model of kinship distance and reciprocity as well as Belk and Coon's (1993) agapic love model, this study explores how strangers transform their transactional market exchanges into close family-like relationships and friendship bonds, by engaging in strategies of material and non-material gifting. The gifting strategies follow a spiral of reciprocity, which consists of material gifting, and non-material gifting, such as sharing of interests, telling & listening, shared experiences, learning from and caring for each other. The contribution is a temporally extended model that considers both the longitudinal emergence and reformulation of relations between alternating givers and recipients. This study also provides insights into the broader context of marketing and public policy: addressing the importance of aging in place, the wellbeing of elderly through social connections, and the disruption of current care solutions.