15 - Between War and Peace: Gift Exchange and Commodity Barter in the Central and Fringe Highlands of Papua New Guinea

Summary

INTRODUCTION

In old Melanesia two different forms of exchange, ceremonial gift exchange and commodity barter, are to be found in a great variety. Anthropologists have often emphasized that both exchange forms are fundamentally contrastive and mutually exclusive (see, e.g., Gregory 1982). In the last couple of years, however, as the theoretical discourse in anthropology has been characterized by an increasing relaxation of the older theoretical frames of reference (Biersack 1991: 2), there have been some important attempts to reduce the exaggerated contrast between gift and commodity exchange (see, e.g., Appadurai 1986; Gell 1992; Valeri 1994). The present chapter is intended as another step into this direction. The aim of the paper is twofold: On the one hand some game-theoretical models will be delineated that I have used to point out both differences and similarities of the two exchange forms in the central Highlands of Papua New Guinea (Görlich 1992a, 1992b). On the other hand I will discuss to what extent these models can be used to understand and differentiate exchange processes of the Kobon people on the northern fringe of the Highlands of Papua New Guinea.

In the central Highlands societies ceremonial gift exchanges of pigs and shells play an important role in the politico-economic organization: They enable peaceful relationships and define the power positions of the actors. Beyond that a great variety of barter or trade transactions serve as an interconnecting link between different societies.