The Major Forms of Reciprocity Found in Both Foraging and Horticultural Societies

Reciprocity is a means of receiving something in exchange for providing something. The major forms of reciprocity in the foraging society operate within an immediate return system in most cases (Woodburn, 1988). The three types of reciprocal exchanges: generalized, balanced, and negative (Nowak & Laird, 2010)3.3 Economy.

With generalized reciprocity foragers like to share and not waste food, so when they have a large catch or a large amount of gathered goods or even prepared food they share with everyone until all are feed and stocked with no expectations just the willingness to give (Nowak & Laird, 2010). This type of communal effort is done within kinship groups and can cut down on labor throughout the whole community which also alleviates competition, leaving no one on top or left behind.

With balanced reciprocation a product is exchanged with someone outside of a kinship group and another product of equal value is given as reciprocation. For example, if a certain good is unavailable in one person's tribe and the other tribe has that good in abundance then an equal trade is made between the two tribes to accommodate one another's need.

On the complete opposite side of balanced reciprocation is negative reciprocation. This means that when the trading transaction would normally take place the other person on the receiving end reacts in a delayed or non respondent way by giving nothing in return. Although this sounds something like general reciprocation, the difference is the person expects an exchange but does not receive one. This can happen in many ways in both kinship and non-kinship groups. For instance, if someone of kin constantly provides a family with goods and food but that family's providers, being of able mind and body, never participate in hunting or gathering then they are looked at as being lazy and turn general reciprocation into negative reciprocation. If a non-kinship member of the tribe does the same and does not participate in the communal potluck they are considered greedy.