Utu and capitalism

In this piece, I offer a contribution to examining the cultures of capitalism through an indigenous lens. I use the framework of whakapapa to explore social relationships prior to colonization, with a focus on gift exchange, in order to illuminate the cultural differences between indigenous and non-indigenous systems of value. Drawing on the work of Sir Raymond Firth and Dame Joan Metge, I analyse the contrast between utu and capitalistic exchange. I argue that this relationship is one of deep and harmful imbalance which has had negative impacts socially and economically. I conclude that indigenous epistemologies can provide necessary analysis and solutions for challenging capitalism within a specific cultural context, such as the Pacific region

Biology · Capitalism · Context (archaeology · Economics · Exchange value · Indigenous · Neoclassical economics · Order (exchange · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Sociology · Value (mathematics · Anthropological Studies and Insights · History · Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights · Indigenous Studies and Ecology · Law · Ecology

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