Re: [microsound] gift economics

[Ian Andrews <i.andrews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>are there any serious gift-economy (beggar-economy is the same thing
>right?

No its is not the same thing.

In the last few years there has been a great deal of misunderstanding
generated about the idea of gift economies.  They are not just warm fuzzy
altruistic sharing economies.  Instead their main driving force is
"obligation." Eg. at xmas one is obligated to give. If one does not give a
worthy gift one's social standing is diminished. The system of potlatch
(practiced by the North American Indians) goes even further. Each giver
tries to out do one another in order to shame the other party.  Prodigious
waste is also an essential part of gift economies and this was traditionaly
linked to sacrifice (cf. Attali)   The smashing of a champagne bottles over
the bow of a ship is a remnant of this practice.

>another text by derrida called the gift (i think); a lecture i saw at
>chicago u. a while ago. a great wedding present i thaught. all about
>exchange.

Its called _Given Time: 1.Counterfiet Money_  He expands on the work of
Mauss arguing for the impossibility of the concept of the gift without
return.  In doing this he links the idea of the gift with Hiedegger's
concepts of being and time.
The title conveyed the promise of a Given Time 2 but I have never seen an
English translation.  Anyone know anything about this?  I'd love to read it
if it exists.

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