Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our society
Creative Writing Paper
Write carefully crafted a short essay (Max 840 words long)
Font: Times New Roman
Size: 12
- Use Office/Word; run its word count command and put this number down at
the end of each essay. It’s important not to go either under or over the word
limit.Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our society
- Mark absolutely clearly which essay prompts you are selecting, either by noting
the number at the opening of each response, or by typing out the question
itself. (Do not include this question in your word count however.)
Important tips as you draft your responses:
- Use specific examples/evidence drawn from the readings to substantiate your
points in each response. Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our society
- Dive into answering the prompt; no need for intro and conclusion paragraphs.
Remember this is a short answer response, not an actual essay.
- When citing the course readings, use this simple in-text format: (Gudeman: 21;
or, Mauss: 48). No need to include Works Cited or Bibliography.
- Be prudent in your use of quotations. Where possible, paraphrase and cite as
above. Save quotations for specially stressing a point you are already making
yourself in your own prose. Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our society In other words, it is best to use quotes to underline
your own logic, rather than to take a step for you in the logic of your essay.
(TurnItIn is enabled and which catch such plagiarism).
Prompt:
Drawing on Malinowski and Mauss, identify two distinguishing
characteristics of the classic kula ring and articulate how each makes the
kula fundamentally distinct from commodity exchange in our society.
Also incorporate in your essay a discussion of how the kula is simply one of
many possible forms of gift economy.
In addition to Malinowski and Mauss, find similarities or differences and compare Richard Borshay Lee’s reading “Eating Christmas in the Kalahari” with Malinowski and Mauss in your response here.
Name
Lecturer
Course
Date
Kula Ring and Commodity Exchange in Our Society: Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our society
An empirical analysis of the works of Malinowski reveals that the classic kula ring possesses two distinct characteristics. One of the most fundamentally distinct features of the kula ring is the element of ranks that were given to the valuables. Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our society These ranks were based on a commodity’s invisible quality, which allowed people of equal stature to trade amongst themselves whilst locking out those of lesser stature. Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our society In this manner, the kula ring allowed the sanctity of the items that were being traded to remain pure, thus making it impossible for people to trade haphazardly. Indeed, the existence of such a quality ushered in the element of bartering since one had to acquire kula ring that possessed a higher value. In addition, the classic kula ring also ensured that not everybody had the privilege of becoming a member. For this reason, it was necessary for them to take part in the lower levels of the trade’s exchange before they could be offered an opportunity to join. Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our society After the exchange, one party would be counting loses as another one would grow richer; however, the dynamics of the kula ring ensured that the debt and the imbalance would rectify itself courtesy of another exchange (Malinowski: 98). In other words, the dictates of the kula ring ensured that the Trobriand Islanders would attempt to outdo one another with regards to being nice by offering more than the other party, even when they were cognizance of their shortfall. Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our society
The above-mentioned features of the kola ring are the antithesis of the basic commodity exchange in our society. Given the nature of kula ring vis-a-vis the first feature, its express purpose is to create a person’s name within a society. Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our society Thus, the underlying cultural value with the concepts of “nobility” and “honor” (Malinowski: 89) override everything else during the formal exchange ceremony. However, when it comes to the basic commodity exchange, hard bargaining forms the underlying principle. Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our societyFurther, the basic commodity exchange absolutely acts as a function of economy. As already mentioned, the concept of reciprocity dominated the kula ring trade. Malinowski subtly refers to reciprocity as a form of commodity that inalienably belongs to a person and it will eventually get back to them since the entire trade is based on reciprocity. Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our society However, Malinowski’s conception of kula trade is inconsistent with the one that is practiced at commodity exchange. In the latter, the free market economics reigns supreme wherein the desire to optimize profits in the form of pleasure, comfort and possessions, otherwise known as utilities, supplant the desire for reciprocity. In other words, in the basic commodity, the interactions between humans as well as their aspirations can only be subjected to economic terms. Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our society In fact, the exchange of goods in the basic commodity exchange in our society lacks personal or social considerations, which is a fundamental tenet of reciprocity as witnessed in the kula ring.
Moreover, Malinowski and Mauss have discussed gift economy and from their expositions, kula ring could simply be one such economy. Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our society In both their works, they consider the gift economy as an important social system that impacts the religious, political, legal and economic spheres of society and consequently accomplish fundamental purposes in their continuity and development. Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our society Gift economies affect social order via their three quintessential elements including its symbolism and rituals, its norm of reciprocity, as well as its social distinction. By establishing a hierarchy in the system, creating social connections, and fashioning coalescing traditions, social order abound because of gift-giving. Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our society This claim is reinforced by both Malinowski and Mauss when they posit that primitive societies have economic lives that are predicated upon gifts leading social hierarchies, cultural rituals and reciprocal associations.
In addition to Mauss and Malinowski, Richard Borshay Lee, in his book “Eating Christmas in the Kalahari”, highlights the social relationship between the Bushmen particularly with regard to the Christmas celebration. Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our societyThere are uncanny similarities between the three authors’ works since all of them canvass the social lives of what one would consider primitive societies. In Malinowski’s work, the Trobrianders and their primitive social interactions are discussed with regard to how they conduct their kula ring business. Marcel Mauss, in his work, examines the concept of the gift in what he considers archaic societies. He states that in gift-giving in such societies, “…The object of the exchange was to produce a friendly feeling between the two persons concerned, and unless it did this, it failed its purpose” (Mauss: 18). Further, Lee narrates his interaction with the Bushmen during what was supposed to be one of the most important occasions of a calendar year: Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our society Christmas (Lee: 1). In all these works, the authors are able to reveal the societal order that exists in the three societies that they have analyzed. For instance, the kula ring involves the elements of trust and of a sort of commercial honor, as the equivalence between gift and counter-gift cannot be strictly enforced. Also, the Kula presents a type of intertribal relationship of unprecedented magnitude; Critical thinking term paper of anthropological concept: Kula ring and Commodity exchange in our society however, Bushmen’s potluck culture and their culture of distorting under a scarcity of protein sources has a similarity with Kula ring as a “gift exchanging” to keep social order. In this case, gift within Bushmen’s society would be meat sharing.