recommended reading

[Keith Hart]

What book(s) would you recommend someone to start with if they expressed a possible interest in economic anthropology? Why?

[Ranjan Lekhy]

We must not forget the works of Eric Wolf and Claude Meillassoux.

Richard Wilk said:

One book which seems to have gone largely unread in recent economic anthropology is Godelier's (1986) The Making of Great Men: Male Domination and Power among the New Guinea Baruya. (New York: Cambridge University Press). It is one of few monographs to put the problem of gender right at the very origin of economics (in a way I find vastly more legible than Strathern in "The Gender of the Gift"). It is an intrinsically interesting ethnography. which gives a far different view of Melanesian exchange than you get from classics like "The Rope of Moka" or all that writing on Kula and other seagoing networks. Most importantly, Godelier shows us that limiting wealth and exchange is one of the central problematics in village-level economies; something we seem to forget since we live in a society which assumes exchange, wealth and growth are always good things. Finding ways to generate surplus without also building inequality seems to be a central issue of moral politics in so many places..

[Keith Hart]

Ranjan Lekhy said:

We must not forget the works of Eric Wolf and Claude Meillassoux.

Agred, Ranjan. For those whio read French, the latest issue of Journal des Anthropologues is devoted to Claude Meillassoux. There is alot to be said about Eric Wolf and his friend, Sidney Mintz.

[Kalman Applbaum]

I hope I'm not sidetracking this discussion with a question about my econ anth syllabus for the spring, which I am seeking to modestly update in a hurry before the semester starts in late January. The latest version (Fall 2006) bears the following description:

"This course pursues two paths to examining the ways in which “economic facts” are embedded in culture and social relations. In the first half of the semester, after defining the scope of economic anthropology, we delve into two of the discipline’s preoccupations: exchange systems and the relationship between commodities and the construction of value. We close the first half by reading one of a selection of contemporary ethnographies, corresponding respectively to the topics of market culture, relations of production, and consumption. The second half of the course begins with classical theories of capitalism and the rise of market economy. We then turn to some contemporary theories of the culture of capitalism(s) and the market. We close the term by critically reading one of a selection of “current affairs” books on the subject of the economy."

The readings are aimed at giving students exposure to some classical theories that they then evaluate against contemporary ethnographies in the middle of the semester and books such as Kuttner's 'Everything for Sale' or De Soto's 'Mystery of Capital' (there's a list of 7 they can choose from) at the end.

I'm looking to update the ethnographies in the middle of the course (pardon me for not saying which ones I used in the past, lest this be taken as an indictment that they are outmoded, which is not my intention), as the syllabus says, in relation to market culture, relations of production, and consumption. I am particularly interested in new market ethnographies and any among these that may attempt to link (as I try to in my own work) the cultures of supply and demand in one place/commodity.

Thanks to anyone, and Happy New Year to everyone.

[Ranjan Lekhy]

I have just started to read "Market and Society" edited by Chrish Hann and Kieth Hart! Can anyone make me clear about the basic concepts of "Market exchange" and " Commodity exchange"? "Labour Market" and "Labour exchange" are the same or difirent? Thanks!

[Keith Hart]

Ranjan Lekhy said:

I have just started to read "Market and Society" edited by Chrish Hann and Kieth Hart! Can anyone make me clear about the basic concepts of "Market exchange" and " Commodity exchange"? "Labour Market" and "Labour exchange" are the same or difirent? Thanks!

I don't think all those can be found in the book, but here goes. Markets are networks of buyers and sellers. Commodities are goods and services produced for sale, but in ordinary business they are often restricted to raw materials like tin or cocoa. Market exchange is often used by anthropologists in contrast to gift exchange, but economists would generally write about market, markets or the market. Commodity exchange is the preferred usage of Marxists and again is sometimes opposed by anthropologists to gift exchange, as in Chris Gregory's Gifts and Commodities. A labour market is aggregate supply and demand for wage labour in a particular place. A labour exchange is somewhere for finding a job. The problem with all these terms is that they reflect different traditions of economic analysis. But I would hope that the definition of market is made clear enough in our introduction to Market and Society, if you read that far. You could just as well ask of other keywords, when is a state a government or capitalism business? Again the answer would be that different intellectual and political traditions have their own preferred vocabulary. You just have to learn them and pick your own preference.

[Ranjan Lekhy]

Thanks, Sir! Your comment helped me lots.

Keith Hart said:

Ranjan Lekhy said:

I have just started to read "Market and Society" edited by Chrish Hann and Kieth Hart! Can anyone make me clear about the basic concepts of "Market exchange" and " Commodity exchange"? "Labour Market" and "Labour exchange" are the same or difirent? Thanks!

I don't think all those can be found in the book, but here goes. Markets are networks of buyers and sellers. Commodities are goods and services produced for sale, but in ordinary business they are often restricted to raw materials like tin or cocoa. Market exchange is often used by anthropologists in contrast to gift exchange, but economists would generally write about market, markets or the market. Commodity exchange is the preferred usage of Marxists and again is sometimes opposed by anthropologists to gift exchange, as in Chris Gregory's Gifts and Commodities. A labour market is aggregate supply and demand for wage labour in a particular place. A labour exchange is somewhere for finding a job. The problem with all these terms is that they reflect different traditions of economic analysis. But I would hope that the definition of market is made clear enough in our introduction to Market and Society, if you read that far. You could just as well ask of other keywords, when is a state a government or capitalism business? Again the answer would be that different intellectual and political traditions have their own preferred vocabulary. You just have to learn them and pick your own preference.

[susanne kuehling]

I vainly recommend my own chapter seven for discussing the kula (from the perspective of Dobu Island) - so far, none of my students has dared to complain too much about its length (ca 50 pages...2005: Dobu. UHP). I describe what it is like to actually go on a kula trip these days - and in class I show pictures and You Tube clips. We also play the kula in class - at least this part of economic anthropology is usually stuck forever.

Thanks for all the good suggestions - I'll eventually teach econ. anth. here in Regina (it is not a core course, so thanks also for these comments) and will be happy to share my experiences.