Faces of Culture

Economic Anthropology

From the generalized reciprocity among the !Kung to the balanced reciprocity of the Yanomamo and the Trobriand Islanders, this program explains that the economies of many non-Western societies are based on principles other than currency. In the highlands of New Guinea, the Mendi are shown engaging both in balanced reciprocity when they barter a bride price in pearl shells, and in redistribution when they engage in a cassowary contest in which they give away their holdings to gain prestige. A third system of distribution—the marketplace—is illustrated with scenes of Assante women in Ghana and of nomads in Afghanistan.