In the Absence of the Gift
Subtitle: New Forms of Value and Personhood in a Papua New Guinea Community
By: By Anders Emil Rasmussen
Edition: First edition.
Series: Pacific perspectives : studies of the European society for oceanists -- volume 5
Publisher: Berghahn Books
Published: 2015
Place of publication: New York; Oxford
Language: eng
Number of pages: 199
ISBN-13: 9781782387817; 9781782387824
Subjects: Social life and customs; Ethnology; Social aspects; Community life; Individuality; Ethnic relations; Emigration and immigration; Economic conditions; Social values; Kinship; Identity (Psychology)
Description: "By adopting ideas like 'development,' members of a Papua New Guinean community find themselves continuously negotiating what can be expected of a relative or a community member. Nearly half the people born on the remote Mbuke Islands become teachers, businessmen, or bureaucrats in urban centers, while those who stay at home ask migrant relatives 'What about me?'  This detailed ethnography sheds light on remittance motivations and documents how terms like 'community' can be useful in places otherwise permeated by kinship. As the state withdraws, Mbuke people explore what social ends might be reached through involvement with the cash economy"--Provided by publisher.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 188-195) and index.