Re-distributive philanthropy and the Chinese Australian diaspora

The discipline of sociology has paid relatively scant regard to either the actualities or the potential of voluntary giving of funds as a process capable of making a contribution to addressing social inequalities. While the literature that does exist includes arguments identifying aspects of elite philanthropy as being essentially self-serving (Ostrower, 1995; Odendahl, 1989) it also includes those who contend that giving is fundamental to social cohesion (Komter, 2007) and that redistribution is one of the most ancient forms of philanthropy (Frumkin, 2006; Payton, 1988). In very broad terms, the redistributive aspects of philanthropic giving have been present to varying degrees across the centuries and across myriad nations, cultures and religions. The prevailing western philanthropic processes have included both amelioration, in addressing acute needs in the moment, and transformation, in addressing the underlying causes of social inequalities. The extent to which such western processes are universal however remain largely untested. This is of particular significance in Australia where the ethnic and cultural composition is quickly changing and where many residents no longer come from western traditions. The 2011 Census reveals that over 866,000 Australian residents identified themselves as having Chinese ancestry. Of these, 318,969 were born in China, making China the 4th most common country of birth for Australians behind Australia, Britain and New Zealand (ABS 2012). This paper begins to address the almost entirely absent understanding of the similarities and differences in the normative influences over the philanthropic attitudes of this the fastest growing Diaspora in Australia.