Essay Summary of Cultural Anthropology

Holding Amok can bring the host close to financial devastation however, the political and communal gains room Increased status can outweigh the cons. Reciprocity Is a mutual/cooperative non-market exchange of favors. Merchandise, or rights where a return is generally expected. Examples of the things exchanged are goods or services between two or more individual groups or the exchange of rights or privileges of trade between individuals or groups. Through the process of natural selection, over time humans have formed emotional connections to others and involve In long-term interactions in which reciprocity aids everyone Involved.
The highlanders of Papa New Guiana otherwise known as the Cakewalk believe In arraign not for the love but for pig tending. Usually Cakewalk marry to have the woman tend for the pigs while the man is away. Among is an example of this, he has many wives take care of his pigs and if the wife’s do not tend to his pigs they are seen as not being responsible. It is the wife’s duty in that culture to tend to the husband’s pig. The Handyman from the Amazon originate from Brazil. The Handyman men marry to Increase their status and grow stronger.
The men find It appropriate to marry women with many brothers so that the man who may have only had two brothers, married into a family with four. The newly wed Handyman man will now have more brothers to fight along his side if the situation ever called. Cousins also make the situation for the man very good. Both of these tribes see marriage for its functional uses rather than for the uses we think about in America such as love and happiness. Marriage in these tribes come first as something used to increase ones wealth or power.

The primary economic tender for the Cakewalk was pigs. Pigs have been In the tradition of Amok for centuries. Only recently have modern consumer items such as cars been added to the Amok as a result of globalization. We also saw the Cakewalk exchange pounds, and discussed how powerful it is to put ones face on money. Personally I saw your perspective on that concept fascinating because you were right in every way. The Cakewalk and the Handyman are both fascinating tribes to study. This assignment on reciprocity really has me thinking.