Economics
Gift Exchange and Reciprocity in Small-Scale Societies
Quick fact
In the Trobriand Islands, the Kula ring was a famous gift exchange system where necklaces and armlets circulated among islands, always moving in opposite directions, and men would travel dangerous seas just to participate, not for profit, but for the prestige of giving.
Why this is interesting
You probably think of a gift as a free and joyful gesture, but what if every gift you ever gave came with a hidden debt? In small-scale societies, the act of giving can be a matter of life and social death.