Hostname: page-component-7b7567c8c-kwt9d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-14T13:22:07.296Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Famine Exposure and Individual Philanthropic Donations: Less Generosity or More?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2026

Tang Tiantian and
Jin YongjieOpen the ORCID record for Jin Yongjie[Opens in a new window]
Tang Tiantian*
Affiliation:
School of Government, Nanjing University, Nanjing, ChinaHumphery School of Public Policy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
Jin Yongjie*
Affiliation:
School of Government, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
*
Azulduree@outlook.com
jinyongjie@smail.nju.edu.cn
Get accessRights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between famine exposure and individual philanthropic donations, drawing on data from the 2012 China Family Panel Survey and the 1982 Population Census of China. By analyzing the long-term impact of the 1959–1961 Chinese famine on survivors' donation behaviors, we aim to understand how such man-made severe life experiences influence philanthropic actions. We employed a cohort difference-in-difference method to assess the severity of famine exposure and its correlation with donation tendencies. Our results show a significant association between famine exposure and an increased likelihood of making donations, with political trust identified as a key channel. These findings contribute to the broader understanding of how historical and personal experiences shape philanthropic behavior, emphasizing the need for models of donor behavior that incorporate the lasting effects of traumatic events. This research not only provides valuable insights into the motivations behind individual donations but also highlights the importance of considering life course perspectives in the study of charitable donation behavior. By integrating historical trauma into our analysis, we offer a comprehensive view of the factors driving philanthropic actions, underscoring the enduring impact of early life experiences on charitable giving.

Keywords

Charitable donationsImprint theoryFamine experienceLife course

Information

Type
Research Paper
Information
Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations , Volume 36 , Issue 5 , October 2025, pp. 716 - 731
Copyright
Copyright © International Society for Third-Sector Research 2025

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

Footnotes

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

References

Almond, D., Edlund, L., Li, H., & Zhang, J. (2010). Long-term effects of early-life development: Evidence from the 1959 to 1961 China famine. The economic consequences of demographic change in East Asia. University of Chicago Press 321–345. 10.7208/chicago/9780226386881.003.0010CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Amir, D., Jordan, M. R., & Rand, D. G. (2018). An uncertainty management perspective on long-run impacts of adversity: The influence of childhood socioeconomic status on risk, time, and social preferences. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 79, 217–226. 10.1016/j.jesp.2018.07.014CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ashton, B., Hill, K., Piazza, A., & Zeitz, R. (1992). Famine in China, 1958–61. In Poston, D. L. & Yaukey, D. (Eds.), The Population of Modern China (pp. 225–271). Springer US. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1231-2_9CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Banister, J. (2000). China’s changing population. Stanford UnivGoogle Scholar
Baum, M. A. (2002). The constituent foundations of the rally-round-the-flag phenomenon. International Studies Quarterly. 46, (2), 263–298. 10.1111/1468-2478.00232CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beck, U. (1992). Risk society. SAGE Publications Ltd. https://book.douban.com/subject/1829457/Google Scholar
Becker, J. (with Internet Archive). (1996). Hungry ghosts: China’s secret famine. London: J. Murray. http://archive.org/details/hungryghostschin0000beckGoogle Scholar
Bekkers, R., & Wiepking, P. (2011). A literature review of empirical studies of philanthropy: Eight mechanisms that drive charitable giving. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. 40, (5), 924–973. 10.1177/0899764010380927CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bénabou, R., & Tirole, J. (2004). Incentives and prosocial behavior. Ssrn Electronic Journal. 10.2139/ssrn.639043CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bies, A., & Kennedy, S. (2019). The state and the state of the art on philanthropy in China. Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations. 30, (4), 619–633. 10.1007/s11266-019-00142-3CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brodie, M., Weltzien, E., Altman, D., Blendon, R. J., & Benson, J. M. (2006). Experiences of Hurricane Katrina evacuees in Houston shelters: Implications for future planning. American Journal of Public Health. 96, (8), 1402–1408. 10.2105/AJPH.2005.084475CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Campbell, D. T., Stanley, J. C., & Gage, N. L. (1963). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research (pp. ix, 84). Houghton, Mifflin and Company.Google Scholar
Cao, J., Xu, Y., & Zhang, C. (2022). Clans and calamity: How social capital saved lives during China’s great famine. Journal of Development Economics. 157, Article 102865. 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2022.102865CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cao, S. (2005). Dajihuang: 1959–1961 nian de Zhongguo renkou. Dangdaiguoji chubanshe gongsiGoogle Scholar
Cassar, A., Healy, A., & Von Kessler, C. (2017). Trust, risk, and time preferences after a natural disaster: Experimental evidence from Thailand. World Development. 94, 90–105. 10.1016/j.worlddev.2016.12.042CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chamon, M., & Prasad, E. (2008). Why are saving rates of urban households in china rising? (No. w14546; p. w14546). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w14546CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chan, K. W. (2010). Fundamentals of China’s Urbanization and Policy. China Review. 10, (1), 63–93.Google Scholar
Chang, G. H., & Wen, G. J. (1997). Communal dining and the Chinese famine of 1958–1961. Economic Development and Cultural Change. 46, (1), 1–34. 10.1086/452319CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, Y., Fan, Z., Gu, X., & Zhou, L.-A. (2020). Arrival of young talent: The send-down movement and rural education in China. American Economic Review. 110, (11), 3393–3430. 10.1257/aer.20191414CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, Y., & Yang, D. Y. (2015). Historical Traumas and the Roots of Political Distrust: Political Inference from the Great Chinese Famine (SSRN Scholarly Paper No. 2652587). https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2652587CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, Y., & Zhou, L.-A. (2007). The long-term health and economic consequences of the 1959–1961 famine in China. Journal of Health Economics. 26, (4), 659–681. 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2006.12.006CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cheng, G., & Zhang, Y. (2011). Does famine experience in childhood influence one’s saving decision-a new explanation of China’s high household saving [in Chinese]. Economic Research Journal. 46, (8), 119–132.Google Scholar
Choi, S. M., Lee, W.-N., & Kim, H.-J. (2005). Lessons from the rich and famous: A cross-cultural comparison of celebrity endorsement in advertising. Journal of Advertising. 34, (2), 85–98. 10.1080/00913367.2005.10639190CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coale, A. J. (1981). Population trends, population policy, and population studies in China. Population and Development Review. 7, (1), 85. 10.2307/1972766CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cui, K., & Han, Z. (2019). Association between disaster experience and quality of life: The mediating role of disaster risk perception. Quality of Life Research. 28, (2), 509–513. 10.1007/s11136-018-2011-4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davidson, J., & Smith, R. (1990). Traumatic experiences in psychiatric outpatients. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 3, (3), 459–475. 10.1002/jts.2490030314CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deaton, A., & Paxson, C. (1993). Saving, Growth, and Aging in Taiwan (No. w4330; p. w4330). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w4330CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drury, A. C., & Olson, R. S. (1998). Disasters and political unrest: An empirical investigation. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management. 6, (3), 153–161. 10.1111/1468-5973.00084.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elder, G. H., & Elder, G. H. (1974). Children of the great depression: Social change in life experience. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Fairbank, J. K. (with Internet Archive). (1986). The great chinese revolution, 1800–1985. New York: Harper & Row. http://archive.org/details/greatchineserevo0000fairGoogle Scholar
Fan, Z. (2010). Several comments on the research of Chinese Great Famine [In Chinese]. Chinaeconomic Quarterly. 9, (3), 1151–1162.Google Scholar
Fang, X., Khoo, J., Luo, T., Pathan, S., & Wang, H. (2023). The past is never dead: Famine-CEOs and corporate social performance. Global Finance Journal. 56, Article 100826. 10.1016/j.gfj.2023.100826.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fondas, N., & Wiersema, M. (1997). Changing of the guard: The influence of CEO socialization on strategic change. Journal of Management Studies. 34, (4), 561–584. 10.1111/1467-6486.00063.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gale Johnson, D. (1998). China’s great famine: Introductory remarks. China Economic Review. 9, (2), 103–109. 10.1016/S1043-951X(99)80008-X.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ge, C., Bi, Y., & Xu, J. (2024). Local donation culture and corporate tax avoidance: Evidence from China. Economics and PolitiCs. 36, (2), 734–763. 10.1111/ecpo.12268.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gooch, E. (2017). Estimating the long-term impact of the Great Chinese Famine (1959–61) on modern China. World Development. 89, 140–151. 10.1016/j.worlddev.2016.08.006.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Groeling, T., & Baum, M. A. (2008). Crossing the water’s edge: Elite rhetoric, media coverage, and the rally-round-the-flag phenomenon. The Journal of Politics. 70, (4), 1065–1085. 10.1017/S0022381608081061.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Han, Y., Chi, W., & Zhou, J. (2022). Prosocial imprint: CEO childhood famine experience and corporate philanthropic donation. Journal of Business Research. 139, 1604–1618. 10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.10.079.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Higgins, M. C. (2005). Career imprints: Creating leaders across an industry (1st ed). Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Huang, C., Li, Z., Wang, M., & Martorell, R. (2010). Early life exposure to the 1959–1961 Chinese famine has long-term health consequences. Journal of Nutrition. 140, (10), 1874–1878. 10.3945/jn.110.121293.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huang, W. (2015). Understanding the effects of education on health: Evidence from China (No. IZA Discussion Paper No. 9225). IZA Institute of Labor Economics. https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/9225/understanding-the-effects-of-education-on-health-evidence-from-chinaGoogle Scholar
Imai, K., Keele, L., & Tingley, D. (2010). A general approach to causal mediation analysis. Psychological Methods. 15, (4), 309–334. 10.1037/a0020761.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jones, P. P., & Poleman, T. T. (1962). Communes and the agricultural crisis in communist China. Food Research Institute Studies. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Communes-and-the-Agricultural-Crisis-in-Communist-Jones-Poleman/3452ed08e504a0cd7b44aae44c0341ee46a43c06Google Scholar
Kane, P. (1988). Famine in China, 1959–61: Demographic and Social Implications.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaniasty, K., & Norris, F. (1999). The experience of disaster: Individuals and communities sharing trauma. Routledge.Google Scholar
Kueh, Y. Y. (with Internet Archive). (1995). Agricultural instability in China, 1931–1991: Weather, technology, and institutions. Oxford: Clarendon Press; New York: Oxford University Press. http://archive.org/details/agriculturalinst0000kuehCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, J. (2020). Post-disaster trust in Japan: The social impact of the experiences and perceived risks of natural hazards. Environmental Hazards. 19, (2), 171–186. 10.1080/17477891.2019.1664380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, W., & Yang, D. T. (2005). The great leap forward: Anatomy of a central planning disaster. Journal of Political Economy. 113, (4), 840–877. 10.1086/430804.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, Y., Li, H., Decety, J., & Lee, K. (2013). Experiencing a natural disaster alters children’s altruistic giving. Psychological Science. 24, (9), 1686–1695. 10.1177/0956797613479975.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lilium, J. (2016). Experience of Adversity and Engagement in Prosocial Behavior [UC Riverside]. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4d60s1vzGoogle Scholar
Lim, D., & DeSteno, D. (2016). Suffering and compassion: The links among adverse life experiences, empathy, compassion, and prosocial behavior. Emotion. 16, (2), 175–182. 10.1037/emo0000144.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lin, J. Y. (1990). Collectivization and China’s agricultural crisis in 1959–1961. Journal of Political Economy. 98, (6), 1228–1252. 10.1086/261732.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lin, J. Y., & Yang, D. T. (1998). On the causes of China’s agricultural crisis and the great leap famine. China Economic Review. 9, (2), 125–140. 10.1016/S1043-951X(99)80010-8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lin, J. Y., & Yang, D. T. (2000). Food availability, entitlements and the Chinese famine of 1959–61. The Economic Journal. 110, (460), 136–158. 10.1111/1468-0297.00494.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Luo, Z., Mu, R., & Zhang, X. (2010). Famine and overweight in China. In Investing in Human Capital for Economic Development in China (pp. 231–239). World Scientific.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maki, A., Dwyer, P. C., Blazek, S., Snyder, M., González, R., & Lay, S. (2019). Responding to natural disasters: Examining identity and prosociality in the context of a major earthquake. British Journal of Social Psychology. 58, (1), 66–87. 10.1111/bjso.12281.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Malmendier, U., Tate, G., & Yan, J. (2011). Overconfidence and early-life experiences: The effect of managerial traits on corporate financial policies. The Journal of Finance. 66, (5), 1687–1733. 10.1111/j.1540-6261.2011.01685.x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marquis, C., & Tilcsik, A. (2013). Imprinting: Toward a multilevel theory. Academy of Management Annals. 7, (1), 195–245. 10.5465/19416520.2013.766076.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McEwen, B. S. (2003). Early life influences on life-long patterns of behavior and health. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews. 9, (3), 149–154. 10.1002/mrdd.10074.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meng, X., & Qian, N. (2009). The Long Term Consequences of Famine on Survivors: Evidence from a Unique Natural Experiment using China’s Great Famine (Working Paper No. 14917). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w14917CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meng, X., Qian, N., & Yared, P. (2015a). The institutional causes of China’s Great Famine, 1959–1961. The Review of Economic Studies. 82, (4), 1568–1611. 10.1093/restud/rdv016.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meng, X., Qian, N., & Yared, P. (2015b). The institutional causes of China’s great famine, 1959–1961. Review of Economic Studies. 82, (4), 1568–1611. 10.1093/restud/rdv016.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Najman, J. M., Hayatbakhsh, M. R., Clavarino, A., Bor, W., O’Callaghan, M. J., & Williams, G. M. (2010). Family poverty over the early life course and recurrent adolescent and young adult anxiety and depression: A longitudinal study. American Journal of Public Health. 100, (9), 1719–1723. 10.2105/AJPH.2009.180943.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peng, X. (1987). Demographic consequences of the Great Leap Forward in China’s provinces. Population and Development Review. 13, (4), 639. 10.2307/1973026.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Perkins, D. H. (Dwight, H. (with Internet Archive). (1984). Rural development in China. Baltimore: Published for the World Bank [by] Johns Hopkins University Press. http://archive.org/details/ruraldevelopment0000perkGoogle Scholar
Pieper, T. M., Smith, A. D., Kudlats, J., & Astrachan, J. H. (2015). The persistence of multifamily firms: Founder imprinting, simple rules, and monitoring processes. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. 39, (6), 1313–1337. 10.1111/etap.12179.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Qin, Y., Zhou, Y., Fan, F., Chen, S., Huang, R., Cai, R., & Peng, T. (2016). Developmental trajectories and predictors of prosocial behavior among adolescents exposed to the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 29, (1), 80–87. 10.1002/jts.22064.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raineki, C., Cortés, M. R., Belnoue, L., & Sullivan, R. M. (2012). Effects of early-life abuse differ across development: Infant social behavior deficits are followed by adolescent depressive-like behaviors mediated by the amygdala. The Journal of Neuroscience. 32, (22), 7758–7765. 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5843-11.2012.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rao, L.-L., Han, R., Ren, X.-P., Bai, X.-W., Zheng, R., Liu, H., Wang, Z.-J., Li, J.-Z., Zhang, K., & Li, S. (2011). Disadvantage and prosocial behavior: The effects of the Wenchuan Earthquake. Evolution and Human Behavior. 32, (1), 63–69. 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2010.07.002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rick Harbaugh. (2004). China’s High Savings Rates. The Rise of China Revisited: Perception and Reality, National Chengchi UniversityGoogle Scholar
Rodzínski, W. (1984). The walled kingdom: A history of China from 2000 BC to the present. FLamingo.Google Scholar
Schwarzer, C., Grafe, N., Hiemisch, A., Kiess, W., & Poulain, T. (2022). Associations of media use and early childhood development: Cross-sectional findings from the LIFE child study. Pediatric Research. 91, (1), 247–253. 10.1038/s41390-021-01433-6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sen, A. (1976). Famines as failures of exchange entitlements. Economic and Political Weekly. 11, (31/33), 1273–1280.Google Scholar
Sen, A. (1983). Poverty and famines: An essay on entitlement and deprivation. Oxford University Press. 10.1093/0198284632.001.0001.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shi, X. (2008). Famine, Fertility and Fortune in China (SSRN Scholarly Paper No. 1474072). https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1474072CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simsek, Z., Fox, B. C., & Heavey, C. (2015). “what’s past is prologue”: A framework, review, and future directions for organizational research on imprinting. Journal of Management. 41, (1), 288–317. 10.1177/0149206314553276.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Staub, E. (2003). The psychology of good and evil: Why children, adults, and groups help and harm others. Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511615795.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Staub, E., & Vollhardt, J. (2008). Altruism born of suffering: The roots of caring and helping after victimization and other trauma. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 78, (3), 267–280. 10.1037/a0014223.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Su, Z., Yang, B., & Xu, Y. (2021). Early life suffering experience from Great Famine on firm charity, agency costs, and corporate governance. The Chinese Economy. 54, (5), 330–346. 10.1080/10971475.2021.1875157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tedeschi, R. G., Park, C. L., & Calhoun, L. G. (1998). Posttraumatic growth: Positive changes in the aftermath of crisis. Routledge. 10.4324/9781410603401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Toya, H., & Skidmore, M. (2014). Do natural disasters enhance societal trust?. Kyklos. 67, (2), 255–279. 10.1111/kykl.12053.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Triandis, H. C., & Gelfand, M. J. (1998). Converging measurement of horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 74, (1), 118–128. 10.1037/0022-3514.74.1.118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van der Kolk, B. A., & Ducey, C. P. (1989). The psychological processing of traumatic experience: Rorschach patterns in PTSD. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2, 259–274. 10.1007/BF00976231.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vollhardt, J. R. (2009). Altruism born of suffering and prosocial behavior following adverse life events: A review and conceptualization. Social Justice Research. 22, (1), 53–97. 10.1007/s11211-009-0088-1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vollhardt, J. R., & Staub, E. (2011). Inclusive altruism born of suffering: The relationship between adversity and prosocial attitudes and behavior toward disadvantaged outgroups. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 81, (3), 307–315. 10.1111/j.1939-0025.2011.01099.x.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wispé, L. (1978). Altruism, sympathy, and helping: Psychological and sociological principles. Academic Press.Google Scholar
Wu, J., Guo, Z., Gao, X., & Kou, Y. (2020). The relations between early-life stress and risk, time, and prosocial preferences in adulthood: A meta-analytic review. Evolution and Human Behavior. 41, (6), 557–572. 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.09.001.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xu, C., Liu, X., & Koedijk, K. (2022). The great Chinese famine and corporate social responsibility. Ssrn Electronic Journal. 10.2139/ssrn.4105385.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xu, R. (2006). A record of the ups and downs of the wave of educated youth returning to the city in Chinese. China Reform, 3, 60–62. https://kns.cnki.net/kcms2/article/abstract?v=4fayqqv3WFeKSU5nEFuUch3ihzSYQQl6kib-Fhj2_ZcxGzYZrUzGbRULqXKmRPFFFOz7wMLJs1QrKfzBrXcyEAsys8z3R6yi6E58uKu4yH_D8btjJ6pq_wslmPNFUFxTyZZyKKTrSC0tR1eybQ7Jcd4NH1Ki9gOMG9gv_0iP7gi11GtiJLb-SZMCLJPS7ge2&uniplatform=NZKPT&language=CHSGoogle Scholar
Xu, S., He, X., Xiong, F., & Chen, P. (2024). CEOs’ early-life famine experience and corporate donations: Evidence from the great Chinese famine. Economic Modelling. 130, Article 106582. 10.1016/j.econmod.2023.106582.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yang, D. L. (1996). Calamity and reform in china: state, rural society, and institutional change since the great leap famine. Stanford University Press.Google Scholar
Yang, S. , & Yang, S. (2021). Are socialism, planned economy, and collectivism responsible for the calamities?. Telling the Truth: China’s Great Leap Forward, Household Registration and the Famine Death Tally. Springer. 243–259. 10.1007/978-981-16-1661-7_14.Google Scholar
Yao, S. (1999). A note on the causal factors of China’s famine in 1959–1961. Journal of Political Economy. 107, (6), 1365–1369. 10.1086/250100.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
You, Y., Huang, Y., & Zhuang, Y. (2020). Natural disaster and political trust: A natural experiment study of the impact of the Wenchuan earthquake. Chinese Journal of Sociology. 6, (1), 140–165. 10.1177/2057150X19891880.CrossRefGoogle Scholar