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1 – 6 of 6Andrea Tonner, Kathy Hamilton and Paul Hewer
Our paper is centred on exploring the experiences of opening up closed doors to strangers in the context of home exchange.
Abstract
Purpose
Our paper is centred on exploring the experiences of opening up closed doors to strangers in the context of home exchange.
Methodology/approach
This paper is based on a year-long research project which has drawn on multiple qualitative methods of data collection. A bricolage approach was adopted to enable the authors to gather data which is sensitive to multivocality and conscious of difference within the consumer experience.
Findings
Our findings demonstrate that home exchangers treat their home as an asset to be capitalised, to allow them to travel to places and communities otherwise unreachable. Home exchangers simultaneously engage in the symbolic creation of home in a temporary environment and utilise the kinship and community networks of their home exchange partner.
Practical implications
Our paper adds depth and an insight to the increasing media coverage of the home exchange phenomenon.
Social implications
As a consumption practice that is witnessing widespread appeal, home exchange uncovers evidence of trust amongst strangers. While it is common practice to open the home in order to build friendship, it is less common for this invitation to be extended to strangers.
Originality/value
We extend the extensive theorisation of the home as a symbolic environment and reveal that the home can also be used in an enterprising fashion.
Details
Keywords
Diana Whitney, Amanda Trosten-Bloom and Maria Giovanna Vianello
Glenn W. Harrison and Laurie T. Johnson
Recent attempts to measure altruism toward other players or charities suffer from a potential confound: the act of giving is typically correlated with the size of the pie left on…
Abstract
Recent attempts to measure altruism toward other players or charities suffer from a potential confound: the act of giving is typically correlated with the size of the pie left on the experimenter's table. Altruistic acts could thus be more generous if subjects prefer that monies go toward other players, or charities, than be left on the table. On the other hand, revealed altruism could be lower if subjects are more altruistic toward the residual claimant than they are toward the agent to whom they are being asked to give. We demonstrate this point with simple laboratory experiments that derive from popular recent designs. We find a significant effect from the hypothesized confound, with revealed altruism dependent upon who is specified as the residual claimant.