SOC 2112 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Marcel Mauss, Social Relation
22 Nov 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Co-founded institue d"etnologie at the university of paris. Forms and functions of exchange in archaic societies ( 1923/4) British utilitarian philosophy individuals strive/act to maximize their own happiness/self interest. Durkheim and mauss argued against these individualistic philosophies. Social norms must exist prior to the individual in order to guide the individuals behavior. The social world exists prior to and separate from the individual who make up a society. Society is more then the sum of it"s parts. The theory of gift = a theory of social solidarity. Solidarity : connection with a group of individuals. Solidarity is the net result of renewable social relations between people and groups. Gift giving is an economic and social system. Karl marx- capitalism as an economic and social system. Mauss understood that gift exchange wasn"t just practice in archaic societies. A system of gift giving in present in every society. Not to give more than one receives involves a loss of status/honor.
