Relational Gifting: Conceptual Frameworks and an Agenda for a New Generation of Research

Summary

The authors define relational gifts as gifts exchanged within known social connections and oriented toward relationship work and care. They argue that research has focused heavily on the selection and receipt of individual gifts while giving less attention to how gifts continue to function in recipients' lives and relationships. Their framework examines the evolving experience of a gift, patterns of exchange over time, and broader networks of care. It encourages researchers to treat gifting as a contextual and longitudinal social process.

Key findings

• Relational gifting involves relationship work and care within an existing social connection.
• A gift's meaning can continue to change through use, memory, feedback, disposal, and later interactions.
• Repeated exchanges form gift circuits that can shape relationships over time.
• Gifts may affect people and relationships beyond the immediate giver-recipient pair.
• The authors identify substantial opportunities for new empirical research on these processes.

Limitations & cautions

This is a conceptual framework and research agenda, not an experimental test of particular gift choices or recommendation methods. Many of the proposed processes require further empirical research. The paper should support broad relational framing rather than claims that a specific gift will strengthen a particular relationship.

Themes

• Relationships & Social Signaling

Used in these research topics

• Mindful Gifting and the Clues You Already Have