Reframing Anthropologies of Alumni Support Behaviors

Abstract: Among the most well-worn scholarly questions in the field of educational advancement is, “Why do alumni give to their alma mater?” Studies designed to answer this question rely on a certain set of assumptions about human behavior. In this research note, I explore four distinctive human anthropologies as they explain human motivation, and specifically, philanthropic behavior among college and university alumni. Drawing on the language and conceptual containers of sociologist, Christian Smith, these anthropological frames include: alumni as rationally acquisitive individuals, alumni as materialist group-interest seekers, alumni as dependent norm-followers, and alumni as natural-goods-seeking persons. This research note illustrates how all four anthropological frames provide value in guiding research and practice in the field of educational philanthropy. The practice of reframing anthropologies of alumni support behaviors can surface unexamined assumptions and catalyze new ways of thinking to improve research and practice in the field.