The Gift Economy

Until recently we have known more about gift giving practices in pre-industrial societies than about those of industrial western society. In this book, first published in 1988, David Cheal shows that the process of present giving and receiving is a vital element in contemporary social life, relevant to some of the most important theoretical traditions in sociology, particularly those of Durkheim and Weber, and to the social constructionism of Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann. This volume is the result of a major study of gift rituals carried out by David Cheal and his associates in which general themes are richly illustrated with details from individual case histories gathered during the research. It is highly significant that in western society women are more active gift givers than men and, while their voices explain how emotions and interests are interrelated within the gift economy, the author shows how that in turn is related to current theories about family, gender and religion.

Using modern literary and anthropological theory, Bowditch investigates the relationship between Roman poets and patrons, based on a detailed study of selected Odes and Epistles which throw light on the dynamic relationship between Horace and his own patron Maecenas.

Essays originated at the conference "The Maternal Roots of the Gift Economy," held at the International Women's Building in Rome, Italy, from April 27-30, 2015. Some essays have been rewritten, and some presenters contributed new essays for this collection.

Mainstream economics offers a perspective on the gift which is constructed around exchange, axioms of self-interest, instrumental rationality and utility-maximisation – concepts that predominate within conventional forms of economic analysis. Recognising the gift as an example of social practice underpinned by social institutions, this book moves beyond this utilitarian approach to explore perspectives on the gift from social and institutional economics. Through contributions from an international and interdisciplinary cast of authors, the chapters explore key questions such as: what is the relationship between social institutions, on the one hand, and gift, exchange, reciprocity on the other? What are the social mechanisms that underpin gift and gift-giving actions? And finally, what is the relationship between individuals, societies, gift-giving and cooperation? The answers to these questions and others serve to highlight the importance of the analysis of gift in economics and other social sciences. The book also demonstrates the potential of the analysis of the gift to contribute to solving current problems for humanity at various levels of social aggregation. This key text makes a significant contribution to the literature on the gift which will be of interest to readers of heterodox economics, social anthropology, philosophy of economics, sociology and political philosophy.

Until recently we have known more about gift giving practices in pre-industrial societies than about those of industrial western society. In this book, first published in 1988, David Cheal shows that the process of present giving and receiving is a vital element in contemporary social life, relevant to some of the most important theoretical traditions in sociology, particularly those of Durkheim and Weber, and to the social constructionism of Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann. This volume is the result of a major study of gift rituals carried out by David Cheal and his associates in which general themes are richly illustrated with details from individual case histories gathered during the research. It is highly significant that in western society women are more active gift givers than men and, while their voices explain how emotions and interests are interrelated within the gift economy, the author shows how that in turn is related to current theories about family, gender and religion.

What is Gift Economy A gift economy or gift culture is a system of exchange where valuables are not sold, but rather given without an explicit agreement for immediate or future rewards. Social norms and customs govern giving a gift in a gift culture; although there is some expectation of reciprocity, gifts are not given in an explicit exchange of goods or services for money, or some other commodity or service. This contrasts with a barter economy or a market economy, where goods and services are primarily explicitly exchanged for value received. How you will benefit (I) Insights, and validations about the following topics: Chapter 1: Gift economy Chapter 2: Barter Chapter 3: Anthropological theories of value Chapter 4: Economic anthropology Chapter 5: Marcel Mauss Chapter 6: Reciprocity (cultural anthropology) Chapter 7: Kula ring Chapter 8: The Gift (essay) Chapter 9: Structural anthropology Chapter 10: The Great Transformation (book) Chapter 11: Moka exchange Chapter 12: Market (economics) Chapter 13: Redistribution (cultural anthropology) Chapter 14: Gifting remittances Chapter 15: Inalienable possessions Chapter 16: Spheres of exchange Chapter 17: Organ gifting Chapter 18: Embeddedness Chapter 19: Formalist-substantivist debate Chapter 20: Archaeology of trade Chapter 21: Chris Gregory (II) Answering the public top questions about gift economy. (III) Real world examples for the usage of gift economy in many fields. Who this book is for Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of gift economy.

First published in 1990. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.