The culture of the gift in eighteenth-century England

Description:

"Offering a variety of disciplinary perspectives, The Culture of the Gift in Eighteenth-Century England analyzes the long-overlooked role of gift exchange in literary texts, cultural documents, and economic relations in the period from 1660-1800. Contributors argue that the gift was instrumental to the workings of eighteenth-century society: it supported the phenomenal rise of charities, explained the increasingly complicated trade relations, enforced conventions of obligation and social hierarchies, and both strengthened and challenged the emergence of a market economy. Building upon the works of recent theorists, these essays provide innovative readings of how gift transactions shaped the institutions and practices that gave this era its distinctive identity."--Jacket.

subjects: English literature,  Politics and literature,  Social aspects,  Intellectual life,  History and criticism,  Influence,  English language,  Social classes,  Generosity in literature,  History,  Locke, john, 1632-1704,  English literature, history and criticism, 18th century,  Social classes, great britain,  English language, social aspects,  Great britain, intellectual life

People: John Locke (1632-1704)

Places: Great Britain,  England

Times: 18th century