Altruism and AgeAltruism and Age

A Sociological Study

By Leigh Gantman

HypothesisHypothesis

• Older population is more generous than the young population.

• Younger people take things for granted.

VariablesVariables

• Generosity versus age

• Controlled variables: income, specific charities

How did I gather information?How did I gather information?

• Took a survey on my Facebook account as well as my mother’s

• Asked for donations to MADA at Fairview

• Distributed my survey at Fairview

• Total survey participants: 118 people

Why did I use this method?Why did I use this method?

• Survey was anonymous. More accurate results

• Incorporated the charity to be altruistic myself

Data CollectionData Collection

• What is your age bracket?• In what ways do you donate?• What is your motive for being a giving

person?• Do you have a specific charity you donate to

regularly?• Which bracket does your annual revenue fall

into?• How does giving make you feel?

Who participated in my Who participated in my survey/experiment?survey/experiment?

16-39

40+16-3940+

In what ways do you donate?In what ways do you donate?

16-39 40+

Donate money tocharity

Volunteer work

Donate thingsthey no longerneedNone of theabove

Donate money tocharity

Volunteer work

Donate thingsthey no longerneedNone of theabove

Motive for GivingMotive for Giving

16-39 40+

Right thing to do

Genuinely enjoyhelping othersEverybody elsedoes itSociety will judgemeNone of theabove

Right thing to do

Genuinely enjoyhelping othersEverybody elsedoes itSociety will judgeme None of theabove

Do you have a specific charity you Do you have a specific charity you donate to regularly?donate to regularly?

16-39 40+

YesNo

YesNo

Annual RevenueAnnual Revenue

16-39 40+

0-19 000$20 000-39 000$40 000-59 000$60 000-79 000$80 000-99 000$100 000$ +

0-19 000$20 000-39 000$40 000-59 000$60 000-79 000$80 000-99 000$100 000$ +

How does giving make you feel?How does giving make you feel?

16-39 40+

IndifferentPleasedOverjoyed

IndifferentPleasedOverjoyed

Experiment ResultsExperiment Results

Total: 34$

Donated16-39

years2.00$

4.00$

1.00$

0.50$

5.00$

Donated40+ years 1.50$

3.00$

5.00$

2.00$

2.00$

2.00$

1.00$

4.00$

1.00$

Annotated BibliographyAnnotated Bibliography1) Gre e l y , An d r e w. "A m er i c a ' s D i s e ase i s G reed." Chicago Sun T i m es ( 20 0 4): n . p ag . We b . 2 9 O c t 2 010. < h t t p :/ /w w w. c o m m o n dre a m s.o r g/ v i e w s0 4/0820 - 09 . h t m >. CommonDreams.org is a national nonprofit, progressive, nonpartisan citizens' organization founded in 1997 by political activists Craig Brown and his late wife, Lina Newhouser. With millions of monthly readers, they have become one of the top progressive websites. They publish breaking news from a progressive perspective and the latest ideas and opinions of some of the world's best progressive writers and activists. 2) M es te l , Ros i e. " W hy are p e o p l e g ener o u s ? W hy are n ' t t h ey ?. " Los Ang el es T i m es ( 2 009): n . p ag . We b . 29 O c t 20 1 0 . < h t t p :// la t i m es b l ogs. la t i m es.c o m / b o o s ter _s h ot s/2 0 09/04/ w hy -a r e - pe o p l e - goo d - w h y - are - t h e y - b ad . h t ml >. The Los Angeles Times was first published in 1881, as a newspaper website. The Los Angeles Times Media Group (LATMG) businesses and affiliates include the Los Angeles Times, The Envelope, Times Community Newspapers, Brand X, LA, Los Angeles Times Magazine and Hoy Los Angeles and reaches approximately 5.4 million adults in the Southern California marketplace. LATMG is part of Tribune Company, one of the country's leading media companies with businesses in publishing, the Internet and broadcasting. 3) "A l tru i s m ." P h i los o phy Ta l k . 29/06/2008. Rad i o . 29 O c t 2010. < h t t p :/ /w w w. p h il os o p h y ta l k.o r g / p a s t S h o w s /A l tru i s m . h t ml >. Philosophy Talk is radio series produced by Ben Manilla each week. The hosts' straightforward approach brings the richness of philosophic thought to everyday subjects. Topics are l ofty (Truth, Beauty, Justice), arresting (Terrorism, Intelligent Design, Suicide), and engaging (Baseball, Love, Happiness). The highly intelligent professors and reporters that comprise this website have considerable experience in philosophy.

ScreenshotsScreenshots

How did it inform my research?How did it inform my research?

• Do people genuinely enjoy being altruistic? Or are they psychologically programmed to do the right thing?

• You don’t only need to give money to be generous.

• Tried to explain why some people are greedy

Interpretation of DataInterpretation of Data

• Younger people donated their time. Older people donated their money.

• Majority of younger people are altruistic because they believe it is the right thing to do. Majority of older people are altruistic because they sincerely want to be.

ConclusionConclusion

• Proved my hypothesis incorrect

• Both generations are altruistic in different ways.

• Younger generation donate their time and effort.

• Older generation donate their money and generally have specific charities they give to.

• People are inclined to help others, no matter their age.