In cultural anthropology, reciprocity is a way of defining people's informal trading of goods and labor; that is, people's informal economic systems. It is the basis of most non-market economies. Since virtually all humans live in some kind of society and have at least a few possessions, reciprocity is common to every culture. Anthropologists have identified three types. Cultural anthropology, also called social anthropology or socio-cultural anthropology, forms one of four commonly-recognized fields of anthropology, the holistic study of humanity. ... Look up Trade in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Trade centers on the exchange of goods and/or services. ... Economics (deriving from the Greek words οίκω [okos], house, and νέμω [nemo], rules hence household management) is the social science that studies the allocation of scarce resources to satisfy unlimited wants. ... Non-market economics is the study of the production, exchange, and distribution of goods and services via mechanisms other than the market. ... For the song by the California punk band Pennywise, see Society (song). ... Possession is having some degree of control over something else. ... Look up Culture on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Wikinews has news related to this article: Culture and entertainment Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Cultural Development in Antiquity Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Culture and Civilization in Modern Times Classificatory system for cultures and civilizations, by Dr. Sam Vaknin...

Generalized reciprocity is the same as virtually uninhibited sharing or giving. It occurs when one person shares goods or labor with another person without expecting anything in return. What makes this interaction "reciprocal" is the sense of satisfaction the giver feels, and the social closeness that the gift fosters. In industrial society this occurs mainly between parents and children, or within married couples. In other cultures generalized reciprocity can occur within entire clans or large kin groups. Between people who engage in generalized reciprocity, there is a maximum amount of trust and a minimum amount of social distance. In sociology, industrial society refers to a society with a modern societal structure. ... A clan is a group of people united by kinship and descent, which is defined by perceived descent from a common ancestor. ...

Balanced or Symmetrical reciprocity occurs when someone gives to someone else, expecting a fair and tangible return at some undefined future date. It is a very informal system of exchange. The expectation that the giver will be repaid is based on trust and social consequences; that is, a "mooch" who accepts gifts and favors without ever giving himself will find it harder and harder to obtain those favors. In industrial societies this can be found among relatives, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. Balanced reciprocity involves a moderate amount of trust and social distance.

Negative reciprocity is what economists call barter. A person gives goods or labor and expects to be repaid immediately with some other goods or labor of the same value. This was the basis of all economies before the invention of money. Negative reciprocity can involve a minimum amount of trust and a maximum social distance; indeed, it can take place among strangers. Jump to: navigation, search Barter is a form of trade where goods or services are exchanged for a certain amount of other goods or services, i. ... Jump to: navigation, search Money Money is any marketable good or token used by a society as a store of value, a medium of exchange, and a unit of account. ...

These three kinds of reciprocity are the most basic forms of economic exchange; more complex exchange systems include redistribution and the market. For redistribution in the policital sense, please see redistricting. ... Street markets such as this one in Rue Mouffetard, Paris are still common in France. ...

Another form of reciprocity is moral reciprocity. Moral reciprocity refers to the general tendency of humans (and, some argue, other animals) to reciprocate both assistance and harm in relation to the subjective interpretation of that assistance or harm as moral or immoral. For example, neoclassical economics holds that rational individuals will only engage in actions that maximize their material gains. Researchers believe that moral reciprocity may be the reason why many individuals are willing to pay a price considered to be irrationally large (within the framework of neoclassical economics) to punish others they believe have acted immorally. N.K