ANTA02H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Social Fact, Marcel Mauss, Ecological Anthropology
Document Summary
When one part of culture changes, others change as well (symbiotic relationship) The exchange of objects builds relationships between humans beings and the groups they are within. Evaluate individuals based on what things they give as gifts/ how they give gifts. Even when we go out and pay for our friends, we are doing it freely. This is gift giving : there is no such thing as a free gift , humans give gifts and form a reciprocal relationship. Gives rise to a long exchange of gifts. What power resides in the object given that causes its recipient to pay it back? (mauss. Gifts have an external power something humans do not often consider. We think we get gifts for free. However, we are bound by this reciprocal relationship . Sooner or later we reciprocate this gift. There are three types of obligations: obligation to give gifts.
