Rawa-Nore gifting

Abstract

This article comprises a rethinking of Mauss’s The gift, reciprocity, and exchange theory in anthropology, using theories of chaos and complexity to make sense of the author’s ethnographic data from Papua New Guinea. The article begins with an explanation of chaos and complexity, proceeds with an ethnographic demonstration focusing on pig feasts, marriage exchange, and exchanges within households, and concludes with a consideration of the implications of this analysis for Mauss’s legacy.