APY 529SEM - Economic Anthropology

This course explores the anthropological study of economics through theories of the gift, exchange and value. Stemming from Marcel Mauss’s theory of reciprocity as moral obligation, anthropological studies of economic behavior have questioned the extent to which systems of exchange, transaction, and circulation can be explained in relation to individual rationality and choice, as distinct from social forces. Through theoretical argument and ethnographic cases, we will investigate how anthropologists interpret economic behavior in the context of cultural norms and values. We will discuss theories of a “great transformation” between premodern and modern societies based on transitions from gift exchanges to the buying and selling of commodities. We will consider how anthropological approaches to gifts can shed light on theories of contract that motivate political protest and humanitarian endeavors.

Credits: 3