The Gift by Marcel Mauss Quiz

According to Claude Levi-Strauss, how can Marcel Mauss's work be compared?

What does Marshall Sahlins describe Marcel Mauss's Essay on the Gift as?

According to Jacques Derrida, Marcel Mauss's The Gift primarily focuses on the concept of gift-giving.

What is the North American Indian term for a system of gift exchange with an obligation to reciprocate?

According to Mary Douglas, generosity and charity are synonymous.

What type of gift does Mary Douglas believe is unsustainable in the long run?

What does Malinowski suggest is the actual purpose of the ‘small gift’ that a Trobriand husband regularly gives to his wife?

According to Mauss, what is the dominant principle underlying the exchange of gifts across various cultures?

In the Essay on the Gift, Mauss concludes that the need for reciprocity originates from a conscious desire to maintain social harmony and avoid conflict.

What does Mary Douglas believe prompted the shift from the study of comparative religion to the study of politics and economics in The Gift?

Durkheim argued that the theory of the gift provides a historical basis for understanding human solidarity.

According to Mary Douglas, utilitarianism prioritizes the needs of the individual over the obligation to society.

The Essay on the Gift was a direct attack against utilitarian political theory.

What is the fundamental principle that governs the potlatch, according to Mary Douglas?

What is the key aspect of the potlatch that distinguishes it from other gift exchange systems?

According to Mary Douglas, the potlatch represents the antithesis of the 'free gift'?

The system of gift exchange found in Polynesian societies is more complex than that found in Melanesia.

What is the Trobriand Islands’ version of the potlatch system?

According to Malinowski, what is the ultimate goal of the kula system?

The Trobriand Islands’ kula system is characterized by strict economic calculations and profit-making.

What is the name for the smaller, more mundane form of exchange common in Trobriand Islands’ societies?

The Trobriand Islands’ kula system is solely the domain of individuals.

According to Malinowski, the Trobriand Islands’ system of gift exchange is characterized as entirely disinterested.

What is the name for the most prestigious and competitive form of kula exchange in the Trobriand Islands?

In the Trobriand Islands’ kula system, participants are expected to offer gifts with the expectation of receiving something in return of equal value.

What is the primary function of the ‘clinching gift’ in the Trobriand kula system?

What is the name for the primary unit of value in The Trobriand Islands’ kula system?

According to Malinowski, the direction of the mwali (bracelets) and soulava (necklaces) in the kula exchange is the same.

The Trobriand Islands' kula system exhibits a high degree of social stratification, with only chiefs being involved in the exchange of gifts.

The Trobriand Islands' kula system relies solely on the exchange of physical goods, with no social or ceremonial aspects.

What does Malinowski describe as the ‘constant' exchange occurring in Trobriand Islands' societies?

The Trobriand Islands' kula system can be considered a purely economic system.

According to Mary Douglas, Mauss's The Gift challenges the concept of the ‘invisible hand’ as an adequate explanation for economic systems.

Mary Douglas believes that the concept of the ‘gift economy’ applies to all human societies, regardless of stage of development or cultural background.

What does Mary Douglas believe is the primary goal of Mauss's The Gift?

What does Mary Douglas believe is the central point of The Gift? What is the significance of this work?

According to Mary Douglas, the potlatch can be considered a unique and extreme example of a larger system of 'total services'?

In the text, Mary Douglas describes the system of 'total services' as including only elements directly related to economic exchange and the principles of law.

Mary Douglas argues that the potlatch system is a more streamlined and efficient version of gift exchange than the archaic forms of exchange found in Melanesia and Polynesia.

The potlatch system, as described in the text, has limited application beyond the Native American Northwest, as it does not appear in other parts of the world.

The concept of the ‘gift economy’ is based on the idea that gift giving is solely a free and disinterested act.

The ‘gift economy’ is a primitive form of social exchange that ceased to exist with the development of more advanced economies and legal systems.

Roman society was the first to develop the concept of a formal contract as we understand it today.

The nexum, in ancient Roman law, represents a system of formalized exchange that predates the development of the modern concept of a contract.

In ancient Roman law, individuals were viewed as separate entities, distinct from their possessions.

The development of the concept of 'credit' in Roman law stemmed from the shift from barter to sale, as proposed by modern economic theory.

What is the key factor that distinguishes ancient Roman law from modern legal systems regarding the exchange of goods?

In ancient Roman law, the concept of the 'gift' was considered a form of 'property', but separate from the concept of the 'person', as in the modern legal system.

Mauss argues that the potlatch, as practiced by indigenous societies of the American Northwest, represents a distinct category of gift exchange that is neither purely economic nor solely ceremonial.

The potlatch, as described in the text, is a primarily economic system, driven by the pursuit of wealth and material possessions.

The potlatch system involves a strict hierarchy among participating tribes, with chiefs holding greater power and prestige than other members of the community.

The text suggests that the concept of 'honour' is a relatively minor aspect of the potlatch, compared to the importance of economic exchange or religious ritual.

The practice of 'destruction', or the destruction of valuable goods, is a unique feature of the potlatch that sets it apart from other systems of gift exchange.

The potlatch is primarily a system of acquiring wealth.

The text argues that the concept of the 'free gift' is fundamentally flawed, as it fails to recognize the complex social and psychological dynamics that underpin the act of giving.

The text concludes that the potlatch is a primarily economic system, driven by the desire to accumulate wealth and profit.

The potlatch is a system of reciprocal giving, but the expectation of receiving something in return of equal value is not necessarily a primary concern.

The text suggests that the practice of 'destruction' within the potlatch is a purely symbolic act, with no real-world consequences.

Mauss's The Gift is a groundbreaking work that challenges traditional approaches to the study of social systems and economic exchange.

The text argues that the potlatch is a purely economic system, driven by the desire to accumulate wealth and profit.

The text suggests that gift giving is a primarily economic system, driven by the desire to accumulate wealth and profit.

The concept of the ‘free gift’ is fundamentally flawed, as it fails to recognize the complex social and psychological dynamics that underpin the act of giving.

The text suggests that the ‘free gift’ is fundamentally flawed, as it fails to recognize the complex social and psychological dynamics that underpin the act of giving.

The text suggests that the ‘gift economy’ is a primitive form of social exchange that ceased to exist with the development of more advanced economies and legal systems.

Gift Exchange

Potlatch

Hau

Gimwali

Kula

Mwali and Soulava

Vaga

Yotile

Basi

Pilou-pilou

Vaygu'a

Enchantment of the Seashell

The Dog Turns Up Its Nose

Disinterested Giving

Exchange-through-Gift

Gift Exchange in the Andaman Islands

Gifts and Peace

Goods and Spiritual Connection

Charity

Sacrifice

Religious Influence on Nature

Purchase from Spirits

Spiritual Power of Gifts

Spirits and Reciprocation

Generosity without Obligation

Gifts and Social Bonds

Gift Economy

Gifts and Social Status