Money is defined as a medium of exchange that can be used for a variety goods. Money exists in many different forms across many different cultures, including shells, salt, cattle, fur, and cocoa beans. But, modern money exists in coins and paper bills. No matter what form of money, all money is symbolic. Although symbolic, money is sometimes everything to some people. This photo shows the impact of money on lives. This man was sitting outside of Whole Foods asking for money. This could be because he didn’t have enough money to pay for housing or enough money to buy food. As its very expensive in the District, money is often a big stressor for many people. This is also because of the value it holds to eat healthily and keep a roof over one’s head.
Also relative to this photo is a pure gift. A pure gift is something given with no expectation or thought of a return. The textbook states that a pure gift is an extreme form of generalized reciprocity. Examples of a pure gift include donations to a blood drive, charity, or other organization. Giving money to this man on the street would be an example of a pure gift because one wouldn’t expect anything in return. It would be out of their own good and kindness to donate to this man and help him with whatever he needed. But, as the textbook states, some don’t believe that there can be a truly pure gift because the donator would still get the satisfaction and feeling of generosity by donating.
