1. Why do the Ju react the way they do to Lee’s offer of buying and slaughtering an ox for them to celebrate Christmas in the Kalahari? Why was Lee’s gift not viewed as part of their Hxaro exchange system? How does the Ju understanding of reciprocity differ in Hxaro exchanges as compared to Lee’s gift of an ox?
2. Explain what Mary Douglas means in the following quote: “A gift that does nothing to enhance [or alter] social relations is a contradiction” (Douglas, 2000). Why is it a contradiction? Discuss why you agree or disagree with her statement, and how you think it relates to gift giving practices in the United States. Specifically, consider why Americans tend to devalue a gift that has ‘strings attached’ whereas other cultures do not?
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