The Gender of the Gift: Problems with Women and Problems with Society in MelanesiaIn the most original and ambitious synthesis yet undertaken in Melanesian scholarship, Marilyn Strathern argues that gender relations have been a particular casualty of unexamined assumptions held by Western anthropologists and feminist scholars alike. The book treats with equal seriousness—and with equal good humor—the insights of Western social science, feminist politics, and ethnographic reporting, in order to rethink the representation of Melanesian social and cultural life. This makes The Gender of the Gift one of the most sustained critiques of cross-cultural comparison that anthropology has seen, and one of its most spirited vindications. |
Contents
Anthropological Strategies 322 | 22 |
Sexual Antagonism in | 43 |
Male and Female Models | 66 |
Claims and Counterclaims | 98 |
Exploitation at Issue | 133 |
Some Definitions | 171 |
Relations which Separate | 191 |
Cause and Effect | 268 |
Domination | 309 |
Comparison | 340 |
| 409 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Abelam action activity acts agent agnates analysis androgynous anthropology appear argues Bena Bena body bridewealth brother capacity ceremonial exchange child claims clan collective commodity concepts construction context contrast created critique cross-sex relation cult culture Daribi detached differentiated domestic domination effect encompassment entity ethnographic external feminism feminist fetus gender gender identity gender symbolism gift economy Gimi groups growth Guinea Hagen Herdt Highlands husband ideas identity ideology individual initiation interaction interests internal kastom kinship kitoum kula labor male and female marriage maternal matrilineal mediated Melanesian men's metaphor metonymic moka mother multiple Muyuw nature objectified objects outcome Paiela Papua New Guinea partible particular partners persons pigs political production reference regarded reification relationship replication ritual Sambia same-sex semen sense separation sexual singular sister society specific Strathern substance symbolic things tion transactions transformation Trobriand unitary unmediated Vanuatu wealth Western wife woman women yams