Marcel Mauss' idea that for something to be a gift it must be circulated or shared

I thought about Marcel Mauss' The Gift and his idea that for something to be a gift it must be circulated or shared. The receiver of the gift in an exchange economy is tied to the giver through a community-enhancing bond because the gift given always carries a part of the giver with it. In this way, the gifts are more of a "loan," and the receiver is spiritually obligated to reciprocate by giving his or her own gifts to others, including the giver...

To meet the conditions of gift-giving, gifts cannot be kept without reciprocity; they must be shared... December 05 8:43 AM Add a comment Send a message View trackbacks (0) Blog it Thoughts Spaces home