Hemming Ma: Christmas Gifts are Bad
Time: Tue 2024-03-26 13.00 - 14.00
Location: Albano hus 1, Cramér room
Participating: Hemming Ma (SU/KTH)
Abstract
Do you enjoy receiving and or giving Christmas gifts? Some economists would say that you are the reason for substantial economic losses every year. In this talk, we take a look at the economics of gift-giving and in particular Waldfogel's landmark 1993 paper on "The deadloss weight of Christmas" and the subsequent papers following its publication. Looking at the identified factors that make or break a gift, we reach the inescapable conclusion that most Christmas gifts are bad and ask why we still do them. No prior exposure to economics is assumed.