Economic Relations in Many Societies Today Are Organized Around the Exchange

question 70

Essay

Economic relations in many societies today are organized around the exchange of money for services rather than around patterns of reciprocity; however, patterns of reciprocity still exist, even within highly stratified societies. Give three examples of reciprocity that are likely to occur in your society. What purpose do they serve within or between social groups? How does gift giving fit into these patterns of reciprocity? What may be some underlying motivations in gift giving that are related to group survival or benefit? Do you think members of your society will continue to practice these forms of reciprocity and gift-giving in the future? Why or why not?

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Definitions:

Number Conservation

A cognitive ability in children that demonstrates their understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape or arrangement.

Preoperational Thought

A stage in Piaget's cognitive development theory characterized by symbolic thinking, egocentrism, and a lack of logical reasoning in children aged 2 to 7 years.

Centration

A characteristic of preoperational thought in which the child tends to focus on one salient feature of an experience or event at a time.

Zone Of Proximal Development

In Vygotsky’s theory, the range of concepts and skills that a learner is to understand or perform only with support or scaffolding from someone else.