Paternalism, Patronage, and Potlatch: The Dynamics of Giving and Being Given To [and Comments and Reply]

The intention of this article is to call anthropologists' attention to some of the theoretical and applied implications of paternalism and to report findings from field research on this question. Having defined paternalism as interference with another's autonomy justified in terms of the wish to benefit him, the article focusses on state (or bureaucratic) paternalism. Its principal concern is the effect of paternalism on corporate groups and categories, suggesting that within certain bounds initiative and responsibility are decisive for corporate organization. The article reviews extensive work on paternalism in anthropology and related disciplines. In sharpening our understanding of paternalism it contrasts it with patronage (in which each party has leverage over the other) and potlatch (in which, rather than enervating the recipients' social organization, the imposition of gifts frequently elicits corporate response through competition). Finally, the analysis draws on the author's fieldwork in rural Iran and the Philippines to expand our understanding of the styles of paternalistic state control, the differences in their effects, and possible explanations for these differences.