Giving, saving, spending: what would children do with £1 million?

Power, Sally ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3287-0003 and Smith, Kevin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2441-573X 2016. Giving, saving, spending: what would children do with £1 million? Children & Society 30 (3) , pp. 192-203. 10.1111/chso.12132

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Abstract

This article explores children's responses to a single question: ‘If someone gave you £1 million today, what would you do with it?’ Although such an exploration might seem trivial, we argue that their responses provide important insights into children's values and priorities. One‐third intend to spend it all, one quarter to save it. But the largest group claim that they would give all or some of the money away. Their responses highlight the divergent ways in which children use money to foster particular forms of social relations and social standing. Against the prevalent discourse of consumer society, the dominant theme of giving may indicate that the individualism of neoliberalism is less pervasive than is often feared, but also suggest that further research is needed into the social contexts and processes which encourage children to be ‘givers’, ‘savers’ or ‘spenders’.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education) Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods (WISERD)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HG Finance
Additional Information:	Article first published online: 24 JUN 2015
Publisher:	Wiley
ISSN:	0951-0605
Funders:	HEFCW
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	14 April 2016
Date of Acceptance:	22 May 2015
Last Modified:	08 Nov 2024 06:15
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/73668

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