Kula exchange

In cultural anthropology and sociology, reciprocity refers to non-market exchange of goods and labour; that is, "gift economic systems". It is the basis of most non-market economies. The concept was key to the debate between early anthropologists Bronislaw Malinowski and Marcel Mauss on the meaning of "Kula exchange" in the Trobriand Islands off Papua New Guinea during the First World War.[1] Malinowski used Kula exchange to demonstrate the apparently random gift-giving was in fact a key political process by which non-state political leadership spanning a vast archipelago was established. Gift-giving, he argued, was not altruistic (as it supposedly is in our society) but politically motivated. Marcel Mauss theorized the impetus for a return exchange as "the spirit of the gift," an idea most clearly developed by Annette Weiner in "Inalienable Possessions", her book on Trobriand Island exchange.[2]
Generalized reciprocity is the exchange of goods and services without keeping track of their exact value, but often with the expectation that their value will balance out over time. (2010). [4]
In industrial society this occurs mainly between parents and children, or within married couples.[citation needed] In advanced society social and economic assistance is moderated by treasurers.[citation needed] In other cultures generalized reciprocity can occur within entire clans or large kin groups, for instance among the east Semai of Malaya.[citation needed] Between people who engage in generalized reciprocity, there is a maximum amount of trust and a minimum amount of social distance.[dubious – discuss] The expectation that the giver will be repaid is based on trust and social consequences; that is, a "mooch" who accepts gifts and favors without ever giving himself will find it harder and harder to obtain those favors.[citation needed] In industrial societies this can be found among relatives, friends, neighbors, and coworkers.[clarification needed] Balanced reciprocity