Dobu : Ethics of Exchange on a Massim Island, Papua New Guinea

This is an ethnography of Dobu, a Massim society of Papua New Guinea, which has been renowned in social anthropology since Fortune's Sorcerers of Dobu (1932). Focusing on exchange and its underlying ethics, this book explores the concept of the person in the Dobu world view. The book examines major aspects of exchange such as labor, mutual support, apologetic gifts, revenge and punishment, kula exchange, and mortuary gifts. It discusses in detail the characteristics of small gifts (such as betel nuts), big gifts ( kula valuables, pigs, and large yams) and money as they appear in exchange contexts. The ethnography begins with an analysis of the construct of the Dobu person, and sets out to examine everyday practices and values. The belief system (incorporating witches, sorcerers, and a Christian God) is shown to have a powerful influence on individual conduct due to its panoptic character. The institutions that link Dobu with the outside! world are examined in terms of the ideology concerning money: the Church receives offerings for God; the difficulties faced by trade-store owners evince conflicting notions concerning monetary wealth. The last two chapters delve into lived experience in two major domains of Dobu exchange. Kula is presented in the narrative of the journey to Duau, exploring the knowledge that matters for kula traders and experiential sensations that are a motivational factor for engaging in kula. The final chapter, based on the narrative of a sagali feast, examines the ideology of fatherhood in the light of Dobu concepts of love and duty. The caricature that was Fortune’s "Dobuan" is finally laid to rest. Map Of South-east New Guinea Viii-ix -- Maps Of Dobu Island X -- 1 What Is A 'dobuan'? 1 -- State, Church And Conversion: The Dobuan Of The Methodists 7 -- Science And Conscience: The Anthropologists' Dobuan 11 -- Under The Wings Of A Dobu 'mother' 18 -- 2 The Dobu Concept Of The Person 27 -- Dimensions Of Personhood In Dobu 28 -- 'work' As A Personal Gift 30 -- 'on The Inside': Notions Of Individuality 34 -- Language, Possession And Space 36 -- Spirit And Person 42 -- The Head (deba- Or Bulubulu) 43 -- The Relational Person 45 -- The Blood (lala-) 46 -- The Skin (bwala) 48 -- States Of The Body 50 -- Person And Gender 53 -- 3 Paths And Patterns Of Everyday Exchanges 59 -- Hamlet Life And The Duty Of 'help' 61 -- Options Of Support 64 -- The Bird Clan (manua) 66 -- Those Who 'stand Behind' (muli) 68 -- Ethics Of Everyday Life 69 -- Strategies Of Sharing And Hiding 72 -- Behind The Facade -- Conflict And Consolidation 79 -- 'small Gifts' 81 -- 4 'big Gifts' And The Claim To Fame 87 -- 'working' For Wealth 91 -- Yam -- The Root Of Women's Power 92 -- Bebai -- The Big Yams 96 -- 'une -- At The Heart Of Exchange 98 -- Pigs -- The Beloved Protein 98 -- Bagi And Mwali -- Shells Of The Kula Ring 101 -- Criteria Of Value 103 -- The 'gender' Of Valuables 106 -- The Concept Of Kitomwa -- Ownership Or Management? 110 -- The Use Of 'une And Bebai 111 -- 5 The Gift That Kills -- Witchcraft And Sorcery 116 -- Negative Exchange 122 -- Emotions Of Retribution 124 -- The Vulnerability Of The Mind 129 -- You Never Know -- The Loophole 134 -- Exchange Of The Gaze: A Panoptic Perspective 138 -- 6 Gifts Of Cash For God And Goods 146 -- Tapwalolo: How To Give To The Lord 146 -- The Ambiguity Of Business 156 -- 'money Is Like Yams' 168 -- 'money Is Like Tobacco And Betel Nuts' 171 -- Development From Below? 173 -- Paradise And Cowboy: The 'mixed Person' 174 -- Women's Liberation? 177 -- 7 Strategic Friendships And Precious Memories: The Dobu Way Of Kula 183 -- A Dobu-centric View Of Kula 188 -- To Duau, The Land Of Plenty: An Account Of Kula Travel 192 -- The Secrets Of Kula Magic 198 -- Leaving Dobu -- The Trip Begins 201 -- Starting Kula: A Greenhorn's Position 202 -- Visiting The Partner 207 -- The Art Of Cheating 212 -- Home Sweet Home: Gifts, Gagasa And Gossip 216 -- Playing The Game Of Fame 219 -- Exchange 'intoxication'? 222 -- 8 The Price Of Love: Mortuary Feasting And Paternal Duty 229 -- Feasting The Dead: Basa, Bwabwale And Dugumalala 235 -- Wailing Over The Body 236 -- 'eating' Is 'work' 237 -- Dugumalala -- The 'short Cut' 244 -- Sagali In Losina 247 -- Getting It All Together 253 -- The Platform 257 -- On Top Of The World -- Sagali Euphoria 265 -- Love, Shame And Duty 271 -- Appendix 1 Words For 'inner' States 287 -- Appendix 2 List Of Affinal Exchanges 290. [susanne Kuehling]. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 294-313) And Index. Focusing on exchange and its underlying ethics, this book explores the concept of the person in the Dobu world view. It examines major aspects of exchange such as labour, mutual support, apologetic gifts, revenge and punishment, kula exchange, and mortuary gifts. It discusses in detail the characteristics of small gifts (such as betel nuts), big gifts (kula valuables, pigs, and large yams) and money as they appear in exchange contexts. The ethnography begins with an analysis of the construct of the Dobu person, and sets out to examine everyday practices and values. The belief system (incorporating witches, sorcerers, and a Christian God) is shown to have a powerful influence on individual conduct due to its panoptic character. The institutions that link Dobu with the outside world are examined in terms of the ideology concerning money: the Church receives offerings for God; the difficulties faced by trade-store owners evince conflicting notions concerning monetary wealth. The last two chapters delve into lived experience in two major domains of Dobu exchange. Kula is presented in the narrative of the journey to Duau, exploring the knowledge that matters for kula traders and experiential sensations that are a motivational factor for engaging in kula. The final chapter, based on the narrative of a sagali feast, examines the ideology of fatherhood in the light of Dobu concepts of love and duty--Publisher's blurb This is an ethnography of Dobu, a Massim society of Papua New Guinea, which has been renowned in social anthropology since Reo Fortune's Sorcerers of Dobu (1932). Focusing on exchange and its underlying ethics, this book explores the concept of the person in the Dobu world view. The book examines major aspects of exchange such as labor, mutual support, apologetic gifts, revenge and punishment, kula exchange, and mortuary gifts. It discusses in detail the characteristics of small gifts (such as betel nuts), big gifts (kula valuables, pigs, and large yams) and money as they appear in exchange contexts. The ethnography begins with an analysis of the construct of the Dobu person, and sets out to examine everyday practices and values. The belief system (incorporating witches, sorcerers, and a Christian God) is shown to have a powerful influence on individual conduct due to its panoptic character. The institutions that link Dobu with the outside world are examined in terms of the ideology concerning money: the Church receives offerings for God; the difficulties faced by trade-store owners evince conflicting notions concerning monetary wealth. The last two chapters delve into lived experience in two major domains of Dobu exchange: kula and the sagali feast.