Power and Prestige
Gifts may also be inspired by a need for power and prestige or by considerations
related to reputation and fame (Bailey 1971). By means of giving a
gift we are putting ourselves in a morally superior position; we may cause
the recipient to feel indebted, sometimes to such an extent that we even
claim some rights on the basis of our gift giving. In many non-Western
cultures gift giving was inspired by rivalry: givers try to surpass one another
in generosity, thereby asserting their power. The more one gives,
the more prestige, power, and honor one is accredited with. The most
extreme example of this is the earlier mentioned potlatch (see Chapter 1).
Offering exquisite banquets, giving expensive bouquets of flowers, or organizing
fancy parties – these are all modern examples of potlatch where
the recipient is, as it were, stunned by the gift. Giving an overly generous
gift that cannot be reciprocated properly is humiliating. Giving
gifts may serve to dominate and to make others dependent upon our
benevolence and our willingness to share valuables and resources with
them.