Commodity, Comity, Community: Male Exchange in Rural Andalusia

A recent debate among exchange theorists in anthropology has focused on role of commodity transaction in preindustrial societies (Appadurai 1986; Gregory 1982; Strathern 1985; Weiner 1980, 1985). This debate has sparked a re-examination of Mauss's (1974) classic formulations about moral underpinnings of material reciprocity. In a celebrated exposition, Mauss argued that exchange relations are, above all, moral relations, and that objects exchanged represent, synecdochically, a part of self. By denying absolute disjunction between persons and things (Parry 1986:457), Mauss blurs object-subject dichotomy so dear to classical theory; and herein lies one area of dispute. In Mauss's view, object given retains forever a life of its own, animated by of giver: obligation to reciprocate can be explained morally by fact that this residual animus demands restitution. This interpretation is exemplified by Maori concept of hau, which Mauss glosses as spirit of thing given. author of Gift concludes: The thing given is not inert. It is alive and often personified, and strives to bring to its original clan and homeland some equivalent to take its place (Mauss 1974:420). Gift, of course, has been subject of considerable debate, especially this striking vitalistic passage (for a review see Gregory 1982:15-24). For example, while still a neo-Marxist, Sahlins (1972) criticized Mauss's insights for leaving out element of exchange-value, of calculation in production and distribution of valuables. More recently, discussion has been enlivened by Weiner's (1985) sparkling review of Maori concept of hau and by Appadurai's (1986) synoptic re-examination of Western concepts of commodity, exchange, and rationality. Criticizing Sahlins's interpretation of hau as the material yield of gift, Weiner (1980, 1985) tries valiantly to rehabilitate Mauss's original proposition. She shows how hau is imbued in gift and ceremonial objects associated with semblance of living person; hau is a detachable, free-floating value, a spiritual aspect of persons that through association of ownership or stewardship cumulatively imparts present value of objects. Thus inanimate object reifies charisma of person. Employing some concepts formulated by Bourdieu, Appadurai has extended terms of debate. Appadurai (1986) recognizes spiritual aspect of commodity valuation, but opts for a rationalist view of exchange. Conflating spontaneous gifts with more economic exchanges, he implies that all forms of commodity exchange may be viewed as being guided by profit-minded calculation. Thus question revolves around relative weight of material and spiritual loads of gift and around question of motive: often ambiguous territory in ethnography.