The Gift By Mauss Lecture Notes P1-46, 65-83 PDF

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The Gift by Mauss p.146,6583  Scandinavian civilization o Presents are a huge part of society  Gift=free service o Human transaction  “natural” economy we now consider primitive  exchange of goods are under contractual obligations  most important feature is obliging to reciprocate the present that has been received  Polynesia = exchange of gifts o Gifts= birth, circumcision, sickness, puberty, funerals, trade  Without repayment, lose authority  Can also be obligatory and permanent with no total counter service o Properties can be talismans as well o If a third party is involved, they hold responsibility too o Gifts hold souls that are connected to the giver of the gift  Has to return to its place of origin eventually o Obligaion to give along with the obligation to receive  Receive  Hospitality  Give  Fail to invite/refuse to accept = declaring war  Spiritual bond between giving o One social system, one state of mind as a constant exchange of spiritual matter o Exchange of presents incide the spirits of the dead, the gods  Purchases must be made from the gods who can set the price of things  Gift to humans and to the gods buys peace between them both  Destruction by sacrifice is an act of giving that is necessary reciprocated  Note on alms o In Sudan, avoid fever by giving grain to the poor o The gods understand that sacrificing stuff takes away food from poor and children  Rules of Generosity: the Andaman Islands o Souls are mixed with presents  Trobriand Islands o “Argonauts of the western pacitfic” o their potlatch = “circle”  hard bargaining is not a part of the ceremony  essential objects are a kind of money (braceets/necklaces)  kept for sheer pleasure of possessing them  bracelets passed west to east while necklaces passed east to west

o wealth is continueous and unerring  they become more prized posession  sometimes (funerals) it is okay to only receive  gifts given on the condition that you make use of it for another or pass it on to a third person  brings tribes together o gift to begin “transaction” then gift to end it o it not enough, the giftor/debtor is punished  must be repaid with interest o accepting a gift “locks” you in  rank is important o usually you give away and receive the same thing within one day  other melanesian societies o Money of Fiji treated like dolls o Marriagemust send enough gifts or the wife will be sent back o Laws cannot really divide and isolate their economic and juridicial concepts  Indian societies do not carry out money transfers as solemnly as the potlatch  Constant visits between societies and language barriers do not prevent the flow of trade o Gifts finance the ranks and signify ascencions in brotherhoods  Potlatch brings about stronger feelings and has a lack of juridicial concepts o Gifts circulate with the certainty that they will be reciprocated o Time limit makes it so people always exchange immedtialey  The things people can easily exchange become increasingly numerous and valuable p.65-83  No readings...