A little blood can go a long way

Blood! Some people hate it, some people love it, every body needs it. I’m sure you have all seen those blood donation signs throughout campus, but do you really give it a second thought? If so do you actually donate blood? If you answered yes to both of those questions, congratulations…you are officially a member of a gift economy. A gift economy is an economic system in which the prevalent mode of exchange is for goods and services to be given without explicit agreement upon a quid pro quo (Wikipedia, 2007). In other words, a person gives someone else a gift without the expectation of receiving one in return. However it is important to note that a possible motivation behind participating in this economy is “the expectation that one will receive useful help and information in return; that is, the motivation is an anticipated reciprocity” (Kollack 1999). I think everyone can agree with this statement because even a simple, heart-felt “thank you” will make you feel good inside, and consequently make your day better.

A gift economy that I participate in is donating blood. I do it because I truly want to help those who are sick and need it. The feeling I get when I know I’ve directly helped someone is all it takes for me to continue forth. Even though I may never see the person that receives my gift, the satisfaction I get is perhaps just as strong if I had seen them face to face. The same can be said for people who give advice over the internet. Rheingold (1993) has described interaction in one online community (the WELL) as consisting of a gift economy, in which help and information is offered without the expectation of any direct, immediate quid-pro-quo. A logical conclusion would be that those people, even though it’s simply sharing their knowledge with others, get that same sense of accomplishment as I do when I donate blood. It really is amazing when you step back and think about it. No one is getting paid for giving out advice and yet they still do it. I do not get paid to give blood but I still do it. I believe this is a force that helps connect everyone on the internet. Maybe helping others anonymously is the way that people who never see each other, and are far away come close on this world wide community. There is nothing to lose, so why not help others? Helping others can only make the world a better place…and what better place to start than the internet?

The person who receives my blood may think to themselves how nice it was for some random person to go out of their way and help them. After thinking about this, it motivates the recipient to donate (when they are better of course) or encourage others to do the same. If this does indeed occur I have received yet another passive gift because my gift encouraged others to give. Just like the saying “every penny counts”, every donation of blood counts and can lead to better things. The same goes for donating to AIDS research and what have you. I know this all may sound very philosophical but participating in a gift economy like donating blood, can truly lead to a better society.

Gift economy. (2007, February 4). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 01:02, February 8, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gift_economy&oldid=105681971

Kollock, P., (1999). The Economies of Online Cooperation: Gifts and Public Goods in Cyberspace. University of California, Los Angeles. Retrieved February 7, 2007, from http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/faculty/kollock/papers/economies.htm

Rheingold, Howard. (1993). The Virtual Community: Homesteading on the Electronic Frontier. Retrieved February 7, 2007, from http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/faculty/kollock/papers/economies.htm