ANTH 1150 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Horticultural Society, Cash Cash, Gift Economy
2 Mar 2016
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Document Summary
Requires something to give up in exchange for something you need or want. From left to right you go from minimalism (finite needs where the input and output are roughly equal) to consumerism (infinite needs, wants and demands) . Minimalism involves gift economies, reciprocal dependence between people- personal exchanges between members in expectation that they will give back something else. Consumerism involves sale economy, reciprocal independence-impersonal exchanges (grocery store shopping) How and why people get the things that they need: reciprocity. Mutual exchange of goods and services, gifts and favours between two people at minimum. Transaction where the assumption is that the goods being exchanged are of roughly equal value. Characteristic of foraging, horticultural and pastoral societies but present in all societies. Types: generalized reciprocity- little attention to value of goods being exchanged, no fixed timeline ie delayed exchanges. Balanced reciprocity- more concern that the goods are of equal value, can still be delayed exchanges or simultaneous, less personal.
