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The Gift Theory of Marcel Mauss
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How do gift exchanges and commodity transactions shape your everyday interactions with others?
It is undeniable that in the 21st century economics is a key factor in the social world fitting together. Whilst commodity transactions are a well-accepted inclusion in the subject of economics gift exchange is less so. This is likely due to the supposed good intent that drives gift giving. However, renowned anthropologist Marcel Mauss proposes that gift exchange is in fact an obligatory and self-interested action, and is as such essentially an economic transaction akin to commodity transactions. Moreover, in his 1924 novel The Gift, Mauss proposed there are in fact three obligations that unconsciously govern how we give gifts: the obligation to
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Such occasions that an obligation arises include when a person you have a close relationship with achieves something such as a promotion, engagement or birthday. Mauss suggests that this obligation is fulfilled in order to maintain social relations, and that failure to do so may damage said relationships (Hendry, 1999; Mauss, 1996). In my experience one incident comes to mind in which a person failed to fulfill the obligation to give a gift. Last year as my friends and I were all turning eighteen we thought it would be a nice idea to each contribute in buying the same ring for everyone’s birthdays. However, throughout the year as more and more of my friends birthday’s passed and more people had each taken their turn in organizing another friends gift it became apparent that one girl had only contributed to a few peoples gifts. Understandably, this angered most people and damaged said girls relationship with all involved as her actions expressed a disinterest in the preservation of our relationships. Evidently, gift exchange impacts our everyday interactions as failure to comply with the associated obligations can damage a persons relationship and corresponding …show more content…
As such whilst these transactions may appear similar they are separate from any personification or meaning. This is apparent as in the purchases of both the maracas and tambourine, as well as the cupcakes, the parties involved did not know one another, merely as a shop assistant or customer. As such the parties involved are objectified and the exchange completely independent. This contrasts with the process of gift exchange in which a gift can be personified as the person who gave you the present and the intent behind their gift and it is a reciprocally dependent transaction. Evidently, while commodity exchange is quite similar in theory to gift exchange it lacks the same social obligations apparent in gift exchange and is as such impersonal and has less of an impact on our everyday
Exchange: trading goods between two people, were both benefits. However, thought the narrator had not seen and exchange he did however heard about one of Professor Chagnon’s experiences with someone wanting to trade his knife with him.
... constant today. In earlier times the social purpose of a gift was to either solidify a military alliance or to secure protection from greater powers. Now the social purpose of a gift is to express thanks or, as in ancient times, to solidify a friendship. However, the transfer of wealth upon ones death to loved ones, friends and charities through a legal Will is almost identical to the bestowment of treasure Beowulf exercises upon his death. Andrew Carnegie one of the wealthiest men of the modern era mirrors the Anglo-Saxon gift giving sentiment in his quote, “The kept dollar is a stinking fish…the man who dies rich, dies thus disgraced.” It is interesting that the ideals employed many years ago are still such an important part of modern society. Ideals that transcend the barriers of history are those with the most validity and integration within society.
My attention was also drawn to several questions in this podcast, which made me eager to find the answers to these questions. For example, one interesting question I heard was “when you do see generosity how do you know it’s really generous” (Levy, 2010). This question stood out to me because it is one particular question I don’t think about often and made me wonder whether people help someone out because they see it as a duty. However, I believe the best answer to this question is the portrayal of the concept of norm of reciprocity, which indicates “the expectation that helping others will increase the likelihood that they will help us in the future” (Akert, Aronson, & Wilson, 2013, p.303). This is true because “generosity” happens when both persons are nice to each other and if an individual helps another person then it’s easy to assume that the person who was
President Andrew Johnson lifted himself out of extreme poverty to become President of the United States. He was a man with little education who climbed the political ladder and held many different high offices. As a strict constitutionalist, Johnson believed in limiting the powers of the federal government. President Johnson was one of the most bellicose Presidents who “fought” Congress, critics, and many others. President Andrew Johnson faced numerous problems post-Civil War Era including reconstructing the Southern states to combine peacefully with the Union, his battles with Congress, and his career ending impeachment.
However, as may be expected from our modern society, the custom of giving gifts quickly turned into the practice of exchanging them. If one gives gifts to loved ones at Christmas, the reasoning goes, then those who do not receive gifts from a person are obviously not loved by him/her. So each individual now is required to give a gift to all of his/her friends, or risk communicating to them that s/he no longer loves them -- or perhaps never did! Also, there arises another problem when someone gets a gift from a person to whom they did not give one. The logic here is that the one who gave the gift obviously has a greater love for or places a greater value on the friendship than the one who did not. A decidedly awkward situation arises from this, one can imagine.
The general Argument made by Christella Morris in her work “The Gift of Not Giving a Thing” is that Morris Appreciate all the gift that they’ve been receiving from their family and friends. More specifically, Morris argues that It's better if the children had some experience outside rather than staying at home playing their toys. She writes “So, starting now, this year before the holiday season begins I'm beginning a new tradition. Although we’ll always be grateful for the presents received” (Paragraph 4). In this passage, Morriss is suggesting that why doesn't she start a new tradition that will let her children learn new things and experience but still she is is still thankful for the tangible things that they've been receiving. In conclusion,
Gift giving is a concept that not only occurs in the three disciplines but also in our everyday life. The gift economy works when a person gives a gift and then expects the other person to reciprocate the gift giving and do something nice for them. This is significant because the concepts of gift giving and reciprocation is an endless cycle. This cycle of gift giving is seen in the disciplines we study (literature, art, and music). Literal gift giving is the actual giving of a gift in hoping that the receiver will reciprocate the gift. Literal gifts are often seen in in the literature novels, such as Gilgamesh and Beowulf. Metaphoric gifts show the significance and symbolic ways of gift giving. Metaphoric gifts are often seen in art and music
Strassmair (2009) also showed that the people who benefit fully from the perceived kindness or the costly action of others does not spoil the benefit for them or induce any negative emotion such as guilt. This kindness received from others is also given great significance by the receiver of the kind act (Macdonald, Liben, Carnevale, Rennick, Wolf, Meloche, & Cohen, 2005).
Generosity and trustworthiness are two personality traits that have a heavy correlation. There is evidence that trustworthiness can be proven to another person through acts of generosity. In the experiment described in this article, people are tested to see how trustworthy they are based on how generous they are in a given situation. The people in this experiment are given no reason to be generous, and their response will show how trustworthy they are. Ten sessions were given in which five people were recipients and five people were senders. They played a series of games that would determine how trustworthy and how generous they would be. The results were around 25 percent of the participants displayed generous traits during the games. A conclusion
...themselves to think of that statement alone, they would remember that accepting or giving said gift, would only benefit themselves and not the better good of the student, so it should not be done.
We live in a culture where people are expected to give to others gifts of gratitude and expressions of love. Sometimes these gifts are accepted for what they are worth and other times they are not. We use that which others give us based on several factors. Among them are whether we perceive the gift as valuable, whether we can practically use the gift, or whether the gift is given earnestly and for the right reasons. Because of this there is not one explanation why certain attitudes about gifts exist. We should, however, understand that it is not for us to realize why a gift is given, but rather that someone thinks enough of us to give a gift in the first place. It is certain that if gifts are not accepted and used in a prudent and expeditious manner, then the gifts that are received will deteriorate or whither completely away.
Thomas, George and C. Daniel Batson. “Effect of Helping Under Normative Pressure on Self-Perceived Altruism.” Social Psychology Quarterly 44.2 (1981): 127-131. Web. 5 Feb. 2012
One form is generalized reciprocity, which is the giving of goods without expectation of a return of equal value at any definite future time. Generalized reciprocity occurs mainly between individuals who are emotionally attached to one another and have a responsibility to help one another on the basis of need. In the United States, parents who provide their children with shelter, food, vehicles, college educations, and interest-free loans are practicing generalized reciprocity. Giving without the expectation of a quick and equivalent return should also occur between certain other kinds of social relations, such as wives and husbands, siblings, and sometimes close friends. Among certain groups of people more goods are exchanged using this form than any other. For example, most members of small hunting and gathering groups are expected to share food and be generous with their possessions. Generalized reciprocity happens in all human populations and is the dominant mode of exchange in very small groups in which all or most members are relatives.
The norm of reciprocity can cause us to behave in both negative and positive ways towards our neighbours. Entirely altruistic behaviour is rare and egoistic motivations often underlie actions which cause the betterment of others lives. Just as a chimpanzee will groom another's body with the expectation of receiving the same service in return, so do we help others in the hope of being rewarded in some fashion, be it recognition, the avoidance of guilt or the long term well being of the group t...
...Lindsey. “The Rippling Effects of Random Acts of Kindness: Giving, Growing, and Gaining. ”Just another we blog. Sites.psu.edu., n.d. Web. 16 October. 2013.