ANT378H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Barter, Mary Douglas, Market Economy
Document Summary
In this survey there will be at one end the extreme case of pure gift, that is an offering for which nothing is given in return. Then there come forms of exchange, where more of less strict equivalence is observed, arriving finally at real barter. : gift vs. barter. Obligation to exchange gifts of roughly equal value. A direct exchange, whereby the return gift negates the obligation created by the initial gift. Balanced reciprocity entails a strong concern for: the equivalence of the exchange, the timeliness of the exchange. Example: buying rounds of drinks at a bar among friends: generalized reciprocity exchanged. Accounts are not kept of the exact value of the goods and services. Generalized reciprocity involves generous sharing, which generates gratitude and an open-ended, diffuse sense of obligation. Example: close family relations: negative reciprocity, three forms of reciprocity (marshall sahlins 1930-present, quote from pg.
