And underlying this concern is a fear that the gift you return might be inadequate and cause you to lose status. Mauss tells us that to refuse to receive is akin to sharing that you're afraid of being unable to reciprocate. This is most clearly seen in the obligation to receive. Gifts should be offered they become obligatory because they help create and maintain relationships, and as a result gift giving establishes a hierarchy of giver and receiver. First, it is not individuals but collectivities that impose obligations of exchange and contract upon one another … Moreover, what they exchange is not solely property and wealth, movable and immovable goods, and things economically useful, they also exchange services, such as military service and acts of politeness, such as banquets, rituals, festivals, dances, etc. In The Gift, Mauss says in the economic and legal systems that have preceded our own, one hardly ever finds a simple exchange of goods, wealth, and products in transactions concluded by individuals. Our social collective imposes the obligation to give. Sociologist Marcel Mauss proposed that though gifts are supposed to be given freely and willingly, they come with the obligation to give and an obligation to receive.

A luncheon or a drink or a dinner outing where we are treated is usually repaid in some way at a later time. Birthdays, where we are celebrated and are the sole recipient of gifts, are returned throughout the year when we celebrate others. The stress of reciprocal gift giving might be most apparent during the holiday season, but it's present at any exchange. And while we may try to mitigate those responsibilities and obligations with social codes of our own devising, we can't truly escape them. All gifts, no matter how small, carry with them a responsibility and an obligation. But gifts are also symbolic representations of power and relationships. Gifts are tokens of appreciation, of love and friendship, and of remediation. We might set individual rules to manage these stressors-perhaps in your family, only the children get presents, or you host a secret-gift exchange so that you only have to focus on a single individual, or you set a limit on how much can be spent per gift. Some people feel financial pressure to spend elaborately, while others may feel pressured to provide for large networks, and others may be confronted with feelings of inadequacy based on the reception of their gifts or if they are unable to reciprocate.

What did you get for Christmas? And what did you give in return? Gift giving is a large part of the holiday season, but for many the exchange of presents can be a stressful exercise. For those of you with Christmas trees, they probably look a little barren following the unwrapping of presents.

Mauss marcel the gift