Week 4 Lecture 1 - Economic Anthropology PDF

Exchange - Economic Anthropology Kime - Home Consumption ○ Consumer Output Something to give up - more money = more to give up Input Get something back Different Scales Patterns of consum...

Exchange - Economic Anthropology Kime - Home Consumption ○ Consumer Output Something to give up - more money = more to give up Input Get something back Different Scales Patterns of consumption Foraging Horticulture Pastoralism Agri. Industry Give up Time, energy Time, energy Time, energy Time, energy Time, energy (output) Surplus, Surplus (labour) (labouers) garden stuff animal Agri products Goods, products capital capital Get back Foraged Garden stuff Animals Cash Payments (input) items Trade items if Trade items Surplus farm stuff surplus items Land Minimalism - left side - Finite - Outputs + inputs are roughly equal - Gifting, altruism, reciprocal dependence - Delayed exchange Consumerism - Right side - Infinite needs/wants - Demand is hard to meet - Commodities, competition, independence, immediate exchanges Exchange Theory 1. Reciprocity a. Generalized reciprocity b. Balanced reciprocity  c. negative/unbalanced reciprocity All societies Foragers, horticulturists, pastoralists 2. Redistribution a. See in horticulture societies b. Some foragers. Some pastoral 3. Market exchanges a. Goods + services for sale b. Agri., industry 1. Reciprocity - transaction between 2 parties - Goods + services of roughly equal value 1a) Generalized Reciprocity - No concern for actual value of what’s exchanged - No fixed time for return on exchange - Between people who know and trust each other - Creates a debt 1b) Balanced Reciprocity - Concern for equal value - May or may not know each other - Immediate or delay in return of the exchange - Less personal 1c) Unbalanced or Negative Reciprocity - Someone gets more than the other - Theft - Gift giving, charity - “True gift” 2. Redistribution - Centralized collection of goods and then (re)distribution of those goods back to the community in form of goods or services - An individual, family, community brings together a lot of stuff - Gives it away under cultural or local rules - Obligation is created - Showing wealth - Surpluses are needed - Exchanges are delayed Reciprocity  - A —-> B - B –--> A Potlatch - Fishing communities on Pacific - Host family that has something to celebrate or commemoration - rites of passage - Opportunity for event to tell it’s story - Feasting, performances of family history, speeches - Giveaway - act of witnessing Other examples of Redistribution - Tribute - societies - agricultural / taxation Political anth: - Moka – kawelka - pigs objects of wealth - more pigs you can give away the more wealthier you appear and status you have “big” - Ongka “big man” - Political sway 3. Market Exchange - Exchange with currency - Often happens between strangers - Rarely delayed - simultaneous - Formalized location Isn’t this just balanced exchange? - Depends on how you define value Exchange Game Good-Good, +, +, 30-30, win-win – cooperation Bad-Bad, -, -, 10-10, lose-lose – Spite Good-Bad - 50-0, win-lose – theft, charity Bad-Good - 0-50, lose,win – altruism + Donor - Reciever Altruism – cooperation - Without obvious return for 1 party 1. Within families 2. Reciprocal Altruism - nothing new 3. Risk reduction 4. Altruism for prestige gain  Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Farmer 1 100 bushels 200 bushels 300 2 400 bushels ‘’ 0 bushels 3 100 bushels ‘’ 300 Totals 600 600 600 Why do we exchange in exchanges? To get what we need (to avoid or manage risk) To get ahead (to create obligations, to make commitments and to demonstrate status)