Response on 'THE GIFT' BY MARCEL MAUSS

‘The Gift’ by Marcel Mauss is the study of the gift exchange system in archaic societies. Through his work, he challenges the idea that there is no code, no structure, no “natural economy” in primitive societies. He finds out that a highly developed exchange system exists in primitive societies, the difference is that the exchange occurs between groups and representatives of groups, rather than between individuals.

Much like Malinowski who studied the Kula trade, Mauss claims that the gift exchange system is a “total phenomena”. The economic system cannot be viewed in isolation, it affects all aspects of a society. He speaks of the importance of the long lasting bond created between the giver and the receiver. He describes how gift giving is a matter of honour. He describes the ‘potlatch’, at the end of which the chiefs give away everything they have and burn down their houses. It brings them respect and prestige amongst the society. It is not only an economic and a social phenomenon, but also a religious phenomenon, as the chief participants are viewed as incarnations of spirits of ancestors.

Mauss uses the word ‘total prestation’ for the gift exchange system, because of the concept of ‘reciprocity’. When one is given a gift, one is obliged to return a gift of equal or greater value. Some scientists have termed this as a ‘symbolic violence’. Mauss is pointing towards the idea that there is no free gift; it only exists in theory. I agree with Mauss, as one cannot really give a ‘gift’ without expecting anything in return. For example when a person donates wealth for the underprivileged, in return he either expects respect and honour, or he expects ‘reward’ from a higher power (if he believes in one).

Link to 'The Gift' : https://monoskop.org/images/a/ae/Mauss_Marcel_The_Gift_The_Form_and_Functions_of_Exchange_in_Archaic_Societies_1966.pdf