What exactly are gift economies & how are they different from capitalist economies?
Essentially, gift economies have been in existence ever since all the way back into history. People have always been involved in gift economies, and nowadays with the advent of the Internet, more people are getting involved in gift economies.
Gift economies are also known as “sharing econom[ies]” (“Gift Economy”, February 2007, para. 4), and they are the exact opposite of capitalist economies. The first difference is that gift economies are “characterized by a web of social connections created by the exchange of gifts” (Roberts, 7/2/2007, para. 8). The exchange of the gift, be it goods, services or products are always given without any form of agreement “upon a quid pro quo [or favor for a favor]” (“Gift Economy”, February 2007, para. 1). According to Lewis Hyde, he said that status in a gift economy is “accorded to those who give the most to others” (Pinchot, 7/2/2007, para. 10).
The second difference is that the gift economies are an “adaptation not to scarcity but to abundance” (Raymond, 7/2/2007, para. 7). That is why gift economies tend to arise from societies that do not have “ significant material-scarcity problems with survival goods” (para.7). It is because people tend to give when there are more than enough to share with others.
Capitalism on the other hand, is based on an “exchange and socializes us into its ego oriented values of competition and domination which also often coincide with the values involved in the male gender identity” (Vaughan, 7/2/2007, para. 1).
Examples of gift economies
They are many different kinds of gift economies around us, be it a big or small one, and they exist in the different societies and on the Internet. An example of a gift economy outside of the Internet would be the Pacific Northwest Native American potlatch ritual. In this ritual, the chiefs of the various tribes always competed with each other to give away the most blankets and valued possessions to the others.
There are many different kinds of gift economies on the Internet. One kind of gift economy in the digital world or the Internet would be that of emails that are sent between colleagues in an office or between friends in different countries, sharing information about their home countries. With regards to an email gift economy, I am in one with a friend in South Korea. We regularly share information about our home countries and travels through email.
Another example of a gift economy is that of discussion forums. I am currently in a discussion forum about an author and the genre of fiction books that she writes in. Through this discussion forum, everyone shares information about the author’s books, and recommendations about other books.
Another kind of gift economy that I am going to talk about is one that is outside of the Internet. It is embedded in our festivals such as Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Hari Raya Puasa, Christmas and many others. During these festivals, people give packets of money or presents to each other. In these instances, the giver does not expect anything in return from the other person.
The last kind of gift economy can be seen when people do charity work or practice philanthropy. These people tend to give either money or goods for basic survival to those who are in need of it. They in turn tend to be given a boost in their social status because helping the more unfortunate tends to touch the hearts of many others.
Magic of gift economies
Some people give time, some money, some their skills and connections, some literally give their life's blood. But everyone has something to give. (cited in Lewis, 7/2/2007, para. 10).
Gift economies are a part of society that seems to be here to stay. Through gift economies, many people, both the unfortunate and fortunate, have benefited from it greatly. In the end, people benefit from gift economies be it on the Internet or not. They benefit through stronger social relationships with each other, and stronger connections with each other, even if they will never know each other. That is the magic of gift economies.
References:
Lewis, J.J. (2007). [On-line]. Retrieved February 7, 2007 from the World Wide Web:http://womenshistory.about.com/od/quotes/a/barbara_bush.htm
Raymond,E.S. (2003). [On-line]. Retrieved February 7, 2007 from the World Wide Web:http://futurepositive.synearth.net/stories/storyReader$223
Roberts, H. (n. d.). [On-line]. Retrieved February 7, 2007 from the World Wide Web:http://h2o.law.harvard.edu/viewThread.do?postId=7881
Vaughan, G. (n. d.). [On-line]. Retrieved February 7, 2007 from the World Wide Web:http://www.for-giving.com/geinter.html
Image: Copyright of Carol Liu.
1 comment:
Good examples of non-digital forms of gift economies, but as highlighted in the assignment, you're actually suppose to pick one you're involved in and prove in-depth on how it is a gift economy. You touched on some briefly.
Still you got the idea there, so I'm giving you the full grade. Do read what's required more carefully next time. :)
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