An Article Review On Mauss' The Gift: The Form And Reason For Exchange In Archaic Societies
Marcel Mauss (1925) elucidates the deep significance of gifts and gift giving in the first chapter of The Gift. His paper explores the exchange of gifts with reference to Polynesian societies and other primitive societies. This paper will briefly review his arguments and discuss some critiques that arose from his ideas.
In Polynesian groups, gift giving is ruled by the concept of mana. Mana is the honour and authority bestowed by wealth (p.8). A person is obliged to reciprocate so as not to lose their mana and to maintain relationships between clans. The spirit in the gift, which creates a hold upon the giver, desires to come back to its origin (p.11). Thus, the recipient gives the gift back to the owner or gives something of equal or greater value than the owner's property (p. 12).
Despite the gift being inactive, the obligation to give, to receive and to offer a counter-gift remains. The obligations to give and receive are both important. A person is obliged to offer and to......
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Approximate Word Count: 558
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)
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