Sociologyspeaking topic
Receiving a gift makes people uneasy, and they cannot rest until they return the favor. Why does the urge to reciprocate settle on our shoulders like a debt?
— the norm of reciprocity / Mauss, The Gift
practice with this topic
Set the timer (5-30 min), take 20 seconds of prep if you like, start talking. Jot your thoughts onto the sticky-note board.
similar topics
- The moment a product is labeled 'limited edition', people want it more. Scarcity changes nothing about the product's quality, so why does it inflame desire?
- You are not entitled to other people's silence in public. Where is the line between shared space and personal peace?
- Do someone a small favor once, and you become more inclined to help them again; it is the giver who bonds, not the receiver. Why does sacrifice strengthen attachment in the person who gives?
- In disasters, people usually cooperate in surprising ways instead of trampling each other. Why is the cliché that 'man is a wolf to man' so often proven wrong in moments of crisis?
- Sweden is removing screens from classrooms and going back to paper books after scores declined. Was digitizing education a mistake?