Re: [ox-en] Re: Free Software is not a gift
- From: Gregers Petersen <gp.ioa cbs.dk>
- Date: Mon, 06 Nov 2006 09:35:42 +0100
Hello Stefan
Stefan Merten wrote:
and if there is no exchange there
will be no social relationship
How do you come to this conclusion ? Is all relationship exchange ?
I think if you - in a strict sense - follow the basic idea of gift-exchange; as
being the foundation of all social relationships through the building/creation
of reciprocity between partners.
I think I understand what you mean here. Isn't this a rather personal
type of social relationship which is created this way? Isn't, however,
one of the characteristics of modern societies that they don't need
this type of personal social relationships?
As a characteristic - no, I would have to say no, is is highly relevant to keep
looking at reciprocity as one of the essential building blocks of basic social
organization. But there are more than one kind of social organization, at least
it is needed, in this context, to make a distinction between form of
'organization' which are build on either 'exchange' or 'sharing' --> then this
is a re-telling of what is the essentila value system of a given society.
For me these comment came onto the list as part of a "writing-in-progress"
project. Where I already before I "stumbled" over oekonux.org was wondering
about the 'gift/not-gift' reality of free software --> leading me to the point
of taking a closer look at a small sidebranch of anthropological material which
is focused on "primitive hunter-gatherer societies' and the debate about how to
understand 'their' particular social organization which is based on 'sharing'.
Then I found and began reading through the oekonux site, and could read that the
basic premise "it is not a gift" was accepted --> though without any extended
argument (to me it more stood forward as a provocation, which I definitely like
and thing is correct).
On the other hand - it would be interesting to elaborate further on the
question: What is it then, if not a gift?
So I would like to ask everybody --> please submit references (in the academic
sense) on this specific subject; the combined question of free software and
'not-gift' :)
Chz
--
Gregers Petersen
Anthropologist, Ph.d fellow
Department of Organization & Industrial Sociology
Copenhagen Business School
Kilen, Kilevej 14A, 4.
DK - 2000 Frederiksberg
gp.ioa cbs.dk
([PHONE NUMBER REMOVED]) 3815 2811
Skype: gregers.ioa
Jabber: gregers jabber.dk
www.cbs.dk/staff/gp
www.icco.dk
Free Software & Ownership
www.wireless-ownership.org
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