Geneva's philanthropists around 1900: a field made of distinctive but interconnected social groups

Abstract

This article analyses the social profile of Geneva's philanthropists around 1900. It shows that, contrary to what the literature on philanthropy argues, philanthropists belonged to varied social groups defined by diverse forms of capital (economic, social and cultural) and were involved in philanthropic activities related to their social status. Together, those philanthropists formed a social field. They were connected to each other and even needed to collaborate on specific issues. The article argues that interconnections between actors reinforced their social position. By examining this field through both quantitative and qualitative methods, the article highlights relationships and ties between actors and shows how they collaborated on the basis of commonly held principles.

Capitalizing on Capitalism: How Impact Investing in Geneva Emerged among the Traditional Financial Field

“…Geneva has a long financial and banking history and a highly integrated financial field (Araujo 2020;Mazbouri and Guex 2010) dominated by ancient families and private banks active in wealth management. Geneva is also known for its philanthropic initiatives, led by foundations and banks (David and Heiniger 2019;David, Heiniger, and Bühlmann 2016;David et al 2016). The case of Geneva, finally, also has the perk of being quite suitable to a thorough emergence analysis.…”

Legitimation Devices of Moral Entrepreneurs: The Fictional Pact and the Claimsmaking of Genevan Philanthropy

“…Historical studies of philanthropy in Geneva reveal a long tradition, linked to private banks in particular, which goes back to the nineteenth century (David et al, 2016;Kuntz, 2019). As early as the end of the 19 th century, an Annuaire Philanthropique listed more than 700 charitable organisations active in various fields (e.g.…”

“…As early as the end of the 19 th century, an Annuaire Philanthropique listed more than 700 charitable organisations active in various fields (e.g. health, education, culture and welfare) (David, Heiniger, & Bühlmann, 2016). It has been shown that these philanthropic organisations were bound together by shared members, leading to a division of philanthropic work (David & Heiniger, 2019;Ginalski & Heiniger, 2016).…”

The market for social harms: A case study of Genevan philanthropy

“…Moreover, this study contributes to the empirical knowledge of philanthropy in Europe, which is still under-developed. 11 Historical studies of philanthropy in Geneva reveal a long tradition linked to private banks in particular, which goes back as early as to the 19th century (David, Heiniger & Bühlmann, 2016;Kuntz, 2019). As early as the end of the 19th century, there was an 'annuaire philanthropique' listing more than 700 charitable organisations active in various fields (e.g., health, education, culture, welfare) (David, Heiniger & Bühlmann, 2016).…”

“…11 Historical studies of philanthropy in Geneva reveal a long tradition linked to private banks in particular, which goes back as early as to the 19th century (David, Heiniger & Bühlmann, 2016;Kuntz, 2019). As early as the end of the 19th century, there was an 'annuaire philanthropique' listing more than 700 charitable organisations active in various fields (e.g., health, education, culture, welfare) (David, Heiniger & Bühlmann, 2016). It has been shown that these philanthropic organisations were bound together by shared members, leading to a division of philanthropic work (David & Heiniger, 2019;Ginalski & Heiniger, 2016).…”