Assignment 4: Gift Economy

Receiving something and not having the obligation to return the favor immediately is something that many of us experience in everyday life, but the internet can make this transaction more complicated. Wikipedia defines a gift economy as a type of “social theory where goods and services are given without any explicit agreement for immediate or future quid pro quo” (Wikipedia, 2008). To get more in-depth with this transaction, the Kollock article uses Carrier’s definition of a gift as “(1) the obligatory transfer, (2) of inalienable objects or services, (3) between related and mutually obligated transactors” (Kollock,1999). What they are saying here is that when the gift is actually exchanged there is no future set time when the repayment exists. A person will feel obligated to return the favor but it’s not set in stone. In the article Gift Economy by Gifford Pinchot, he states Lewis Hyde’s example of a gift economy: “The scientists with highest status are not those who possesses the most knowledge; they are the ones who have contributed the most to their fields. A scientist of great knowledge, but only minor contributions is almost pitied - his or her career is seen as a waste of talent” (Pinchot, 1997, p.49).
Kollock goes on to explain the difference between a gift and commodity. A commodity, he states is that no obligation is felt after the gift if received to return the favor (Kollock, 1999). Another distinction that Kollock notes is made by Bell. In a gift economy, the most important thing is improving the “technology of social relations” (Kollock, 1999). That just means that the goal is to broaden your personal social network. You do this to make friends and to come in contact with as many people as possible. Whereas Kollock also notes that Bell describes commodity economies goal as making improvements in the technology of production that are driven by price (Kollock, 1999). Now, take this and throw the internet into the combo. In a gift economy, if you ask a question on a message board and it’s answered, you feel obligated to return a favor, but seeing as though the message board is anonymous how will you accomplish this? You could answer one of their questions in the future if you remember. Unless there is only one person answering the questions and he or she is qualified in answer medical questions, then it is less likely for you to return the favor at all. If you take the internet and a commodity transaction, it’s easier and more efficient because there is no obligation. You take the information and move on.
Personally, I would prefer being involved in a gift economy over a commodity because I like connecting with others and expanding my social network. Facebook could be a good online gift economy example. It’s a form of communication in many ways. You can send “gifts” to someone or a bumper-sticker, you can post notes, or join groups that related to you. Even if someone posts something on your wall, depending on what it says, you feel obligated to respond back. It was my birthday recently and I felt obligated to respond back to everyone that wished me a happy birthday even if I hadn’t seen that person since high school or if I just hadn’t seen them recently. Subconsciously, I still wanted to keep those old connections open in case I see them in the future and then I am able to have a conversation with them because they will still be in my network. And if you keep the connections open it could lead you to make other connections. Through Facebook you can add a friend or find one in a network and that helps broaden your own network. I find that it helps a lot with group projects and classes.

References:

Gifford Pinchot. 1997. Gift Economy. http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC41/PinchotG.htm

Gift Economy. 2008. Retrieved September 19, 2008 from STS Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gift_economy

Kollock, Peter. 1999. The Economies of Online Cooperation: Gifts and Public Goods in
Cyberspace. Communities in Cyberspace. Retrieved from https://ublearns.buffalo.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2fwebapps%2fblackboard%2fexecute%2flauncher%3ftype%3dCourse%26id%3d_61661_1%26url%3d