article

Money walks, people talk: systematic and transactional dimensions of Palauan exchange

L'Homme162 • Published In 2002 • Pages: 49-79

By: Parmentier, Richard J., .

Abstract
This article discusses the social functions of Balauan traditional money and exchange systems. It argues that the traditional bead money of Balau is better understood from a semiotic perspective in terms of the systemic calculation of value and of the strategies of social transactions. Money's cultural associations can be established by combining historical, narrative, and ethnographic data. Discourse about money, largely by high-ranking titleholders, tends to naturalize the logic of value and to perpetuate the social hierarchy.
Subjects
Exchange transactions
Medium of exchange
Status, role, and prestige
Gender status
Visiting and hospitality
Buying and selling
Gift giving
Family relationships
Inter-community relations
Kin relationships
Mode of marriage
Sanctions
Crime
Mythology
Sacred objects and places
External relations
Acculturation and culture contact
culture
Belau
HRAF PubDate
2010
Region
Oceania
Sub Region
Micronesia
Document Type
article
Evaluation
Creator Type
Anthropologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Teferi Abate Adem; 2009
Field Date
1978-1980
Coverage Date
1890-2002
Coverage Place
Republic of Belau
Notes
Richard J. Parmentier
Includes bibliographical references (p. 76-79)
LCCN
64030096
LCSH
Palauans