000 02591cam a2200325 4500
001 7189
005 20181127183115.0
008 021106r20021990enk b 001 0 eng d
020 _a041526748X (hbk.)
020 _a0415267498 (pbk.)
020 _a9780415267489 (hbk.)
020 _a9780415267496 (pbk.)
041 1 _aeng
_hfre
082 0 4 _a394
_221
100 1 _aMauss, Marcel,
_d1872-1950
240 1 0 _aEssai sur le don.
_lEnglish
245 1 4 _aThe gift :
_bthe form and reason for exchange in archaic societies /
_cMarcel Mauss ; with a foreword by Mary Douglas
260 _aLondon :
_bRoutledge,
_c2002
300 _axxiii, 199 p. ;
_c20 cm
500 _a"This translation originally published 1990 ..."--T.p. verso
500 _aTranslated from the French
504 _aIncludes bibliographical references and indexes
505 _aIntroduction; The exchange of gifts and the obligation to reciprocate (Polynesia); The extension of this system: Liberality; Honour, Money; Survivals of these principles in ancient systems of law and ancient economies; Conclusion
_g
_r
_t
520 _aMauss's most influential work is his Essay sur le don (1923�24; English translation: The Gift. Forms and functions of exchange in archaic societies, 1954), a comparative essay on gift-giving and exchange in "primitive" societies. On the basis of empirical examples from a wide range of societies, Mauss describes the obligations attendent on gift-giving: the obligation to give gifts (by giving, one shows oneself as generous, and thus as deserving of respect), the obligation to receive them (by receiving the gift, one shows respect to the giver, and concommittantly proves one's own generocity), and the obligation to return the gift (thus demonstrating that one's honor is - at least - equivalent to that of the original giver). Gift-giving is thus steeped in morality, and by giving, receiving and returning gifts, a moral bond between the persons exchanging gifts. At the same time, Mauss emphasizes the competitive and strategic aspect of gift-giving: by giving more than one's competitors, one lays claim to greater respect than them, and gift-giving contests (such as the famous North-West Coast Native American potlatch), are thus common in the ethnographic record. In this work, Mauss thus lays the foundation for a theoretical understanding of the nature of social relations.
650 0 _aCeremonial exchange
650 0 _aGifts
700 1 _aDouglas, Mary,
_d1921-2007
700 1 _aHalls, W. D.
_4trl
999 _c6115
_d6115