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Kula Valuables: The problem of value and the production of names

L'homme : revue française d'anthropologie / publiée par l'École des hautes études en sciences sociales avec le concours du Centre national de la recherche scientifique • 162 • Published In 2002 • Pages: 107-136

By: Damon, Frederick H..

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
In this article the author shows how the production, circulation, and individual possession of [n]kula[/n] valuables generates the major form of wealth for the people of Muyuw Island. The first part, addressing Marxist reformulation of exchange theory, describes the forms of [n]kula[/n] circulation. The second part discusses the metonymic and metaphoric transformations by persons naming valuables and in turn being named as the result of their circulation through the Massim region.
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Theoretical orientation in research and its results
Gift giving
Exchange transactions
Accumulation of wealth
Price and value
Names of animals and things
Status, role, and prestige
Social relationships and groups
cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Northeastern Massim
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
2015
RegionThe area the document pertains to
Oceania
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Melanesia
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
article
Evaluation
Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Ethnologist
Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
John Beierle
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
1973-1975, 1982, 1991-1999
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
1973-1999
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Milne Bay province, Papua New Guinea
NotesAdditional notes
Frederick H. Damon
LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
95641414
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Massim (Papua New Guinean people)