ABSTRACT
Previous consumer culture theories have conceptualized gift-giving as an important means of creating, sustaining, and reinforcing social ties. Gifts are usually intended to be desirable and pleasing in modern societies. We examine cases within mother-daughter dyads in which gifts may also evoke conflicts and ambivalence rather than appreciation and gratitude. Building upon Otnes, Lowrey, and Kim’s (1993) seminal study of the gift-giver’s social roles, this exploratory study seeks to understand: 1) the different social roles gift-givers express within the mother-daughter dyad, and 2) how gift-givers, in expressing their different social roles, might influence the dynamics of mother-daughter relationships.
