Question

1) there are a few types of reciprocity shared: generalized reciprocity, balanced reciprocity, and negative reciprocity. Please share the definition of each of these types of reciprocity and then share how reciprocity works in the American culture? Do you ever engage in it at home or in the workplace? Please provide an example of how you participate in reciprocity.

Generalize reciprocity:

usually is carried out among close kin and carries a high moral obligation.

Balanced reciprocity:

Involves greater social distance than generalized reciprocity and entails a clear obligation to return, within a reasonable time limit.

Negative reciprocity:

                Is the unsociable extreme in exchange.

2) So let's analyze giving a gift. There are definitely rules when you want to give a gift to someone, say a friend, a parent, or a partner. One example might be that you need to give a gift that is a appropriate in value. You don't want to give something too expensive or something too cheap. What are some of the other rules surrounding giving a gift in our culture? How we learn what those rules are, and what are some of the consequences of breaking them?

Answer 1

Marshall Sahlins (1965), an anthropologist observed that there are three types of reciprocity that occur in human societies commonly around the world. These are generalized reciprocity, balanced reciprocity, and negative reciprocity.  

In generalized reciprocity when someone gives a gift then that person does not keep any expectation of an immediate return. In a way, in this kind of reciprocity, you are seeing a long-term relationship. For example, the tradition of giving a birthday gift in American culture. However, you may expect to get one from the recipient of your gift later in the year when your birthday comes along.

In case of balanced reciprocity, the gift giver has clear expectation of immediate return. The tradition associated with giving Christmas gifts in the American culture is a good example of balanced reciprocity. If you go to the home of relatives or close friends on Christmas and give them Christmas gifts, there is an expectation that you will receive gifts in return at the same time. In case you do not receive any gift from them in return, you are likely to infer that your relatives or friends do not care about you.

Negative reciprocity can be defined as an attempt to get someone to exchange something he or she may not want to give up. This may happen when someone is eyeing a more valued expectation. Negative reciprocity may involve some kind of deception, compulsion or hard bargaining. For instance, in the workplace in American culture, an employee may act in a respectful manner, or even subservient, towards an employer so that he or she may be considered for a promotion.

Yes, there is a culture of giving a gift in my family and workplace.This happens more so when there is an occasion of marriage. We make a list of the names of the people who visited on marriage occasion and what they gifted and its value in money. This is done to know precisely what kind of gift is to be reciprocated to the respective person. Usually, the gift will be decided that has a little higher value than one given by them.

NOTE - Please repost the second question.