The Philosophy of Gift Giving

The Philosophy of Gift Giving The gift is primarily about the relationships being transacted, about the people involved in these transactions rather than the ceremonial giving and receiving of things (Carrier 1995: 19). Write an essay evaluating the role of alienable and inalienable goods in underscoring the importance of exchange transactions. In order for us to take an in depth look at the idea of gift giving and the relationships involved in such a ceremonial transaction we must first look at the people that are involved in the transaction. Not only must we look that the people but we must also focus on the affiliation between people and the actual object itself. Carrier himself states in his essay; Gifts and Commodities that Clearly there is much more in our relationship to objects than sheer utility (Carrier, 1995. 1), and thus proving to us that there we have a much more intimate relationship with material objects than we first imagined. This bond is deep enough that we even need material objects to define who we are sometimes, for example if a punk rocker claims to be a punk rocker he must dress according to the social image of a punk rocker and from there we can assume that persons identity and personality as a punk rocker. Carrier says himself that The corollary is that objects signify status identity and so consti tute a claim to status-group membership on the part of those who have them (Carrier, 1995. 2). Another major concept that is involved with both the relationship between humans and material objects and with the ceremonial act of gift giving is reciprocity. It shows us and defines to us the strength of the bond between people and material objects. It goes without a doubt that humans have a natural affiliation with objects as we all have a material need and it is through these objects that we can control these needs. Carrier states in his essay; Gifts and Commodities that Humans do have material needs, and objects can satisfy them (Carrier, 1995. 1). As I stated earlier we need material objects for a variety of reasons, one of which is for them help define and show our society both our identity and our personality. It is for this reason that we have such a deep connection with material objects, because as long as society continues to exist so will the need for material objects. However this essay, nor is Carriers essay, about the connection between people, identity and material objects but instead, as Carrier puts it, we are going to investigate the ways that objects are implicated in personal relationships, rather than seeing them in mass structures of meaning and identity (Carrier, 1995. 10). In order to get a full understand ing of such a topic we must first take a look at what is known as reciprocity, reciprocity is a term used to describe the exchange of goods and labour. It was separated into a few separate terms know as, generalized reciprocity, balanced or Symmetrical reciprocity and negative reciprocity. The term which most applies to the ceremony of gift giving is generalized reciprocity as it is described as the event of giving or sharing. It is defined as when a certain individual shares his expertise with another individual in his society who is in need of his goods or labour without expecting anything in return. However this does not define the event as reciprocal as the giver expects nothing in return, but this interaction is indeed reciprocal as the individual who gives his goods is overcome by such satisfaction in giving his services, and the fact that it creates a social bond between the giver and the receiver and that is what he attains in return for his goods or services. In modern day society this seems to occur mainly between parents and children or within married couples as there seems to be a certain amount of trust and social interaction involved between the people within the event. It is through these transactions with other people that also help define our identity, not just that material object itself. Carrier himself says that; Indeed, in some ways transaction creates the very identities of those involved in it. (Carrier. 1995. 35) These, reciprocal events help define our relationships with other people, as I said before through these events we can gain social bonds with people but we also need certain amount of social interaction with that same person before we can involve ourselves in such a transaction. What is also interesting about these transactions, and indeed very much present in the generalized reciprocity that I defined earlier, is that we are indeed a selfish race. We only give gifts so that we may receive something in return. In the context of generalized reciprocity we only give our goods and labour so that it can be returned in the feeling of gratitude and the formation of a social bond. Marcel Mauss states in his essay; The Gift that gifts are never free and as a selfish race we will always expect something in return as we only give so that we may receive. Mauss probably most famous question raised by his essay The Gift was; What power resides in the object given that causes its recipient to pay it back?, (Mauss, 1990. 3) an the answer seems to be simple enough. The Power lies not with the object itself but rather with the unspoken contract that it creates with the people involved in the transaction. The giver does not only give away some material abject but also gives a way a part of themselves with that object; this creates a strong bond between the giver and the item he gave away. Mauss himself says that the objects are never completely separated from the men who exchange them (Mauss, 1990. 31). Because of this bond between the gift and the giver the receiver has a certain obligation to return the favour to the giver in the form of a gift of the same, if not better value. Although the receiver is not under any law to return in such a manner and it is solely up to him if he returns the favour, the failure to reciprocate often results in the loss of social status and trust amongst his peers. Mauss describes an even greater consequence to the failure of the act of reciprocation, in Polynesia that failure to abide by the obligations of reciprocity results in the loss of mana which is a persons spiritual energy and source of power and wealth. Mauss breaks down the ceremonial event of gift giving into three separate stages and obligations; giving, rece iving and reciprocating. Giving is the step that is needed to maintain a social relationship, receiving is the act of acknowledging and accepting that social relationship and failure to accept results in the rejection of that relationship, and last is reciprocating as it shows ones honour and social status within the society. We can see this throughout the ethnography of the Kula ring and the Kula shells, whereby giving the shells away is just as important as receiving them for they are not meant to kept forever but instead passed on. Is saying this however we must also look at the concept of inalienability in reference to gift exchange as it plays a major part in both Mauss essay and the ceremonial act of gift-giving. An inalienable object is something that cannot be exchanged from one individual to another. Instead they have to be sold and the rights of ownership are then passed to the new owner, the object has therefore become an alienated item to the original owner as they no longer have the rights to that object however the concept of free gifts is a slightly different one. Instead of the owner selling the object and becoming completely alienated from the item given, the gift instead renders the item under loan. Therefore the original owner remains the rightful owner and this rightful ownership has the power to compel the recipient to return the favour. Carrier points out the same concept in his essay where he says that if he buys a bottle of wine in s hop it is now his and can do what he wants with it, inclu ding pouring it down the drain, however if his mother buys him a bottle of wine it is her choice for him and becomes a token of her affection towards him and in turn this makes it a part of her identity, he therefore could not simply throw it out like his own bottle of wine. This identity that we find in the object is also what Mauss calls the hau. The hau is what is known as the spirit of the gift, it lives inside the gift and has a deep connection with its original owner, and therefore the object is constantly trying to return to its rightful owner, increasing the obligation of the receiver to return the gesture of gift-giving. Because the gift is an inalienable object and the rights of ownership still belong to the gift giver, the favour must be returned by the receiver as the act of gift giving creates a contract between the people involved and that in turn creates a sort of gift giving social debt that must be repaid by the receiver. So then according to Mauss, if the free gift is not returned buy the receiver the act of gift giving therefore becomes a contradiction as if the gift is not returned it cannot create social ties because the demands of the obligations are not met. Mauss therefore believes that social solidarity is achieved through the concept of gift giving and the social relations that it creates. Carrier also raises the issues of alienation within his own essay as he tackles the concepts of the self and alienation. He shows us how some commodities and objects cannot be alienated from our selves as they are too closely linked with our identities. For example Carrier supposes to us that we cannot put our right to vote up for sale, as that is our constitutional right as a citizen to execute, and Carrier also says; Equally, one cannot sell ones decision on how to vote. (Carrier, 1995. 29) What he means here is that we cannot be told how or who to vote for in an election by somebody else in exchange for money. However Carrier does state that One can . . . give that decision as a gift (Carrier, 1995. 29). Carrier goes on to tell us that one cannot sell oneself as that would mean that we are putting ourselves up for slavery, which realistically one cannot do as one cannot alienate themselves from oneself, but one can sell ones labour ability. And again the same can be said for selli ng oneself sexually, as that is considered prostitution and punishable by the law, but one can give themselves sexually as a gift. What Carrier is trying to say is that one cannot be alienated from all aspects and the identity of their life, but through the act of gift giving, we can lend our insights, experiences and goods to our peers and those who need them in our society. But Carrier goes on to talk about these inalienable qualities and how they relate us to one another and not to our objects. Carrier says; My mother and I are linked by what our society sees as inalienable attributes. (Carrier, 1995. 31). What he is saying is that the blood bond between himself and his mother defines them and imposes on each of the obligation to interact and transact in certain ways and under certain circumstances. This then in turn can relate to the interactions between a gift giving relationship. Thus, gift transactors are social persons defined in significant ways by their inalienable positio ns in a structure of personal social relations that encompasses them. (Carrier, 1995. 31). And thus showing us how gift transactions help define who we are. In Carriers essay; Gifts and Commodities he states that; in many societies dominated by gift exchange that structure of kinship provides the basis of peoples identities and their relations with each other, and thus their obligations to transact with each other. What Carrier is trying to say her is that rather than our objects entirely defining who we are, the act of gift giving from person to person may be more important to our identities than the actual object we are giving. The relationship between the giver and the receiver is of utmost importance to their social relationship, the item in this context seems of little importance, for it is through these acts of gift giving and the obligations that ensue the actions that help us build our social relations. This is helped along by the inclusion of alienated objects and inalienable objects within a gift transaction, for both come with certain obligations where we sell and item so it becomes alienable or the object is entirely inaliena ble to us, both are connected to the relationship between the giver and the receiver, and building a social relationship between the two. It was Mauss who claims that it is these gift giving ceremonies that build the social solidarity of a culture.

Digging-Seamus Heaney

The message in this poem is Heaney is feeling slightly Guilty for not following the footsteps of his father in becoming a farmer instead he became a writer. The guilt is brought arcross as Heaney is breaking a agricultural tradition in his family. The techniques Heaney uses in this poem are onamatopoeia â€Å"Squelch† for example. Also in the second last verse Heaney uses a listing device. Also he uses lieration â€Å"curt cuts† whichgive added ethisis. Heaney also uses roots to describe his family roots. Heaney is effectively â€Å"digging† his memories at the instant he begins to write, he looks out his window and starts reminiscing about his past, he then becomes enthralled in guilt because he did not follow his grandfather, and fathers path, which leaves him feeling guilty and below them, he feels his forefathers were great men and he is not, however he still speaks of his pride in his own choice in a â€Å"pen is mightier than the sword† kind of way This poem compares his life to that of his father. He looks at the skill of his father and sees that he can never do what his father is so skilled at â€Å"digging†. He describes in fine detail the art and mechanics of digging potatoes and the ease at which his father can do it. He compares the skill of his father digging potatoes to that of his grandfather digging in the bog, a completely different skill. Again he described in fine detail the art of digging turf and the sights and sounds that are part of it. The wonderful line that shifts time lines from the present , where he looks at his father perhaps clearing up a gravel path â€Å"comes up twenty years away† to him digging potatoes. In the second last verse a line from each generation is compared and tells him that his that his only skill is to â€Å"dig with his pen† He knows that he can never be as good with a spade and feels that he is more comfortable with a pen. (snug as a gun) Repeating the lines in the last verse confirms this comfort and confirms his only way to match their skill is to â€Å"dig with his pen† I like to think this poem has that simple message. I hope you agree ! Someone asks about â€Å" Toners bog† This is the name of a local bog, (a family name called Toner ) Seamus Heaney tries to explain a change in time with this poem. He uses a good choice of language within this poem to effectively illustrate his views on an old tradition in many English towns. The mining off coal, gold and earth which is used to burn fires, these are all things that were apart of most common families that did this day in day out as a living. a change in time and of course educational circumstances and the fact that the mines and these methods of work have become irrelevant in modern times have made the person in the poem change, thus allowing him to have a different future through the pen, a good life not a hard one like his father and grandfather before him who used the spade. He says within the poem that he has ‘no spade to follow men like them' this is because that way of life has now become history and change has come by. For me, Heaney uses ‘the squat pen' as his intricate tool of choice, the use of which for him, transcends that of a spade. the free verse style of the poem is used to enable this professed deviation from this traditional ancestral manual labour. Throughout the poem, Heaney displays nothing but respect for his ancestor's particuarly his grandfather, of whom his memories are particuarly fond. One can find examples of Heaney's admiration and aspiration to the man when he depicts his inferior actions ‘corked sloppily with paper' compared with his grandfather's ‘nicking and slicing neatly. ‘ The use of assonance here also serves the emphasise the importance of his grandfather's skillset. Heaney however in the penultimate stanza, realizes that he can never spark a passion for the ‘cold smell of potato mould' and ‘soggy peat' and the diction reflects this mood shift to disillusionment. Overall, Heaney realises that in choosing ‘the squat pen' over ‘the spade' he is in fact ‘digging' up memories of his ancestors, complementing and helping their work to be realised in this sense. So all in all, he draws the conclusion that whilst we must not forget our roots,we must pursue our passions and dreams in life. For Heaney, it is writing in which he finds solace, which enables him to transfer memories onto paper, giving old thoughts the power to transcend time.

Food Safety Essay Topics Fundamentals Explained

Food Safety Essay Topics Fundamentals Explained Things You Should Know About Food Safety Essay Topics Foodborne pathogens are liable for each and every third case of acute gastroenteritis. Food contamination is a major cause of illness, yet one of the simplest to avoid. Go over the safety considerations connected with reheating different kinds of food. While certainly, regular fire security drills are a significant part your routine, you also will need to make certain employees understand how to stop them from happening in the first spot. In order to make sure that everybody is working and lifting according to their very own abilities, start looking into implementing a competency-based safety training plan. In addition, speedy food are always prepared at fast speed, meaning the customer doesn't need to wait around for quite a while for their purchase. Food safety training teaches people how food must be managed from the time that it is grown to the moment it's prepared and s erved. The Start of Food Safety Essay Topics Undoubtedly, the principal benefit of fast food is the simple fact it saves time. So it's in the interests of the entire industry to co-operate and attempt to minimize the risk. Besides that, much attention needs to be paid to the unwillingness of public administrators to boost awareness about the dangers of fast food. If it is finally time for students to begin preparing their own meals, understanding suitable food security practices will help them stay healthier. There's no safe risk for your body when it has to do with eating fast food. Most individuals are too preoccupied to prepare such foods. On the flip side, home-cooked foods play an essential part in monitoring our diet in what people can think of weekly menu of what it is that they will eat. Fast food is called junk food because of its deficiency of nutrition and an excessive amount of chemical flavor that are bad for our wellness. It is made from a lot of high saturated fats and calories and if it is not worked off by exercising, then a person can become obese. Although, it is the fastest way to feed our hunger, it is not healthy at all. A common quick food is quite high in calories and fat. The prevalence of fast food is rising in a growing number of countries of the planet. The variety of work in the economy that are associated with fast food is practically 4,000,000, which accounts for almost 3 percent of the whole labor force. The quick food industry stipulates a huge number of jobs to our economy, and without them an incredibly significant amount of people would become unemployed. The main reason why its necessary for our society to see the importance of the quick food restaurants is to avoid a decline in the business, which then would prevent a possible se rious financial decline due to a scarcity of stimulus supplied by the quick food restaurants. Food Safety Essay Topics Explained The majority of the established restaurants and quick food stores like McDonalds also target children in their advertisement. The home cooked and quick food can't be compared. May people don't realize that quick food is a slow death. Food should be kept in its proper place straight away after arriving at home. The Awful Secret of Food Safety Essay Topics Many food businesses don't take even the most fundamental precaution, he states. Food regulations will produce the economy more balanced and enhance the condition of the environment, by managing the standard and amount of transgenic crops. During a comparatively brief time period, the fast food business has helped to transform not just diet, but in addition landscape, economy, workforce, and popular culture. The quick food market has been a financial wonder. Key Pieces of Food Safety Essay Topic s Fast food takes an enormous toll on the body. Fast food are usually fatty food made out of excessive oil and additives like salt and sugar, meaning a massive quantity of calorie is present. Fast foods are related to healthy risks. Low high quality foods, ultra-processed foods and unprocessed foods are potentially accountable for an extensive collection of chronic diseases that further boost the load of costs on the national healthcare system. The essay isn't the simplest task to master. Unfortunately a quick food essay is something that you ought to complete if you're to score great grades in school so there's not any way around handing it in. If you're writing an argument essay, you might require a couple more sources to make an effective argument. Our essay writing service provides a detailed degree of help we'll write your essay from beginning to finish, which means that you'll have a good bit of work to hand in once the deadline rolls around. What lots of people do no t take under consideration, though are the healthful choices that some restaurants offer. When there are undeniable advantages of fast food, in addition, there are aspects that ought to worry normal consumers. There are additionally some suggestions to remember when physically choosing the foods while you're at the shop. You are able to take time to practice healthier way of life, make choices for healthier eating which don't have to include avoiding fast food all the time. Percentages for regions of research weren't calculated as articles could be assigned to more than one area of research. Eating out is part of today's lifestyle. Fast food being rich in salt, adversely impacts the heart health and the total health of somebody. Recent research proves that eating fast food might cause a greater rate of depression, Shapiro states. What Is So Fascinating About Food Safety Essay Topics? People decided to eat fast food independently. Food isn't as easy as it appears. Of cours e fast food is on the upswing. Making home-made food also saves lots of money. Food Safety Essay Topics Features Fortunately, quick food isn't very full of desserts, so there isn't any temptation. In conclusion, it is a hot commodity in the restaurants. Examine the idea of cross-contamination when preparing food and why it's dangerous. Traditionally prepared food is comparatively costly and more time-consuming to prepare but it's certainly healthy. As dessert doesn't play an important part in the quick food meal menu, you are able to keep yourself away from delicious and tempting sugary dishes. Reheated foods should be cooked to 165 degrees. Filipino food and chefs are regarded as one the very best on earth.

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