Question:
Writing activity: Marcel Mauss's The Gift
This is an opportunity to add another "Anthropological Classic" to your repertoire! Be sure to read and follow all of the instructions below, because (caveat) there is a lot more to "The Gift" than you are probably aware of.
PLEASE DO NOT post all of the additional instructions, photos, links, etc. Post only the prompts and your responses to them.
How much should I write, and how? Give us the gift of your thoughts and your communications skills! Aim for two paragraphs for each prompt (though sometimes one strong paragraph, or three paragraphs at the most, would be acceptable). Always include evidence (quotes from texts, with page numbers) to back up your discussion, whether or not the prompt reminds you to provide evidence.
Please read all the instructions before beginning, so you can keep an eye open for useful quotes as you read.
Read (or at least skim) the 12-page foreword (by the trailblazing anthropologist Mary Douglas) published in many editions of Marcel Mauss's The Gift. Try to be an active reader, paying special attention to her discussion of what seems "free" as well as debates about individualism, and what seems "individualistic" in Western industrialized society---but please, don't get bogged down in her discussions of famous anthropologists, and you can ignore esoteric language. The foreword can be accessed via the link on our course website or via this URL:
https://libcom.org/files/Mauss%20-%20The%20Gift.pdf
Read at least 10 pages from Marcel Mauss's book (using the link below). Choose from these pages:
p. ix (Intro) - functions, meanings, looking at other cultures to understand our own.
p. 3 - (un)natural economies.
p. 6 - mana and the fear of losing mana (or whatever you want to call that 'spirit' or 'primitive magic' or 'nostalgia' or 'sentimental value' that you imagine resides within objects).
pp. 8-16 - (Very important stuff in these eight pages.)
pp. 18 - confusion of personalities and things.
pp. 38-41 - obligations, invitations, and the "monster child."
pp. 63-64 - connecting with life today.
pp. 71 - "payments"...profitable alliances..."far from frigid utilitarian calculation."
pp. 80-81 - "laying down the spear"...King Arthur's Round Table...& civility today.
The full text is provided to you in a nicely accessible, searchable scan of an actual book (Here's that URL):
https://archive.org/details/giftformsfunctio00maus
Watch these videos. They might help you better understand Mauss's The Gift:
You don't have to be a fan of the TV show to appreciate this scene: After Sheldon explains the pagan origins of Christmas trees he gives a stress-inducing (though prescient) discussion of gift-as-obligation and as a marker of "value" in a neighbor.
Big Bang Theory - Why Sheldon does not celebrate Christmas
Duration: (2:08) User: joshonator12 - Added: 12/5/10
YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?-xD4
Reciprocity: 25 Concepts in Anthropology
Duration: (11:25) User: anthropologyonline - Added: 10/15/12
YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
PROMPTS
1. What doesMary Douglas say about charity? (BE CAREFUL HERE: You cannot just find one or two words; you need to read the entire context of her remarks.)
And what does she say about free gifts? (Quote her directly, citing the page number.) What explanation does she give for that statement? Please explain this completely in your own words, and feel free to add some additional insights or examples from your own life if it would elucidate the argument.
2. Think of other "gifts" in your personal life (but not your professional life): Find one quote (with page numbers cited) in Marcel Mauss's The Gift: Forms and Functions of Exchange in Archaic Societies, discuss the meaning of that broader passage, and discuss how it relates to---or helps you understand---one of your personal experiences (past or present). (Note: If you used a personal example elsewhere in this assignment, don't repeat the same example in more than one prompt.)
3. Think of your professional experiences with "gifts": Find one quote (with page numbers cited) in Marcel Mauss's The Gift: Forms and Functions of Exchange in Archaic Societies, discuss in detail the meaning of that broader passage, and discuss how it relates to---or helps you understand---one of your professional experiences (past or present).
4. Define and discuss the concept of reciprocity. Why is it not the same as "payment" or the "trading of goods and services"? (Provide in-text citations to reinforce your answer.)
5. What might Kouzes and Posner say about Mauss's The Gift? Find passages in the book that you can link to or compare with this concept. (Provide in-text citations to reinforce your answer.)
6. Now use much of what you wrote above to create a longer narrative: Write about three to four solid paragraphs (total) discussing the following points:
Write a synopsis of the major concepts of "The Gift"as defined by Mauss, including a definition of the word "reciprocity" and examples of exchanges. In this paragraph, alsoanalyze the concept of "free gifts"in consideration of Mary Douglas's comments.
Describe some examplesof non-monetary "gifts" you have seen in your workplace or organization (not money, and not benefits-related).
How (in brief---no more than two sentences) might someone object personally to a declaration such as "There are no free gifts" or "We feel obligated, or the implication that we don't give 'freely'? In your own experience, in what ways might someone feel obligated to give even if they believe their giving is actually "free" and "from the heart"?
In a final paragraph, create a brief planfor using your newfound knowledge of "gifts" for two goals:
To Enable Others to Act in your workplace and/or community, and
To increase your standing (status) among your peers or colleagues, even if that may occur in a purely informal sense. Remember, these "gifts" are non-monetary, not linked to the compensation that you receive for your job.
Please type your answer here.
Please don't forget: Points will be lost if you don't REMOVE THE INSTRUCTION TEXT (Page 1 of this document) from the final version of your document before you post it to SafeAssign. Also REMOVE MOST OF THE TEXT OF EACH QUESTION PROMPT, and then carefully go back and proofread.