Money & society · 2025
Beyond expressing feelings, what did giving bouquets mean in the urban communities studied?
Giving bouquets also served as a sign of social status and a way to reinforce social relationships. This qualitative study explored gift-giving in urban communities at graduations, celebrations, and occasions marking personal achievements. It interpreted social meanings rather than testing whether bouquets caused relationships to become stronger.
Details
The study examined bouquets as gifts whose meanings emerge through social interaction. Here, bouquets included arrangements of gifts other than flowers, and could convey happiness, gratitude, and social support.
Researchers used participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation to explore these meanings in urban communities. Their central finding was that giving bouquets combined personal emotional expression with a public social role: signaling status and reinforcing connections between people.
The abstract does not report the location, sample size, or detailed accounts from participants. It also does not describe a comparison group, so the findings should be read as an interpretation of the communities studied, not as proof that bouquet-giving improves relationships in general.
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