The Kula Ring of Bronislaw Malinowski
Co-evolution of an Economic and Ceremonial Exchange System
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12968261 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Rolf Ziegler (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2012 |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2012-02-28 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Review of European Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1918-7173 • E-ISSN: 1918-7181 |
| Publisher | Canadian Center of Science and Education (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.5539/res.v4n1p15 |
| OpenAlex | W2066339611 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 24 |
The Kula Ring described by Bronislaw Malinowski is a system of the ceremonial exchange of gifts among a number of tribal societies inhabiting various island groups in the region east of Papua New Guinea. Two ceremonial gifts continually circulate in opposi¬te directions: necklaces clockwise and armshells counterclock¬wise. After a brief description of the social system of Kula exchange, a game-theoretic interpretation of the ceremonial exchange as a signaling system for peaceful relationships, with inbuilt checks against cheating, is given. A simulation model of the starting mechanism is presented to account for the emergence and stability of the observed pattern of circular exchange of the two ceremonial gifts. Three processes are distinguished: the development of an economic trading network, the spread of peaceful relationships and the evolution of a ceremonial exchange network of Kula valuables. These processes are systematically linked to model the spontaneous emergence and co-evolution of the Kula Ring
Ancient history · Cheating · Ethnology · Interpretation (philosophy · New guinea · Ring (chemistry · Sociology · Chemistry · Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation · Game Theory and Applications · History · Language and cultural evolution · Philosophy · Ecology
Argonauts of the Western Pacific
Economic Action and Social Structure
The limits of liberty
The Complexity of Cooperation: Agent-Based Models of Competition and Collaboration
Aboriginal Economies in Stateless Societies
Women of Value, Men of Renown
The Kula
Cannibalism in Duau, Normanby Island, D'Entrecasteaux Group, Territory of Papua
Exchange in Oceania
Economic Action and Social Structure
Simulating Societies
Coral Gardens and Their Magic
Artificial Societies
Economic Action and Social Structure
What makes the Kula go round
The Kula
The enigma of the kula ring
The Massim
Warfare and the changing context of ‘Kune’ on Tubetube
The Evolution of Trust and Cooperation between Strangers
Kula; the Circulating Exchange of Valuables in the Archipelagoes of Eastern New Guinea
The Gift
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,38 |
| Citation span | 2018 - 2025 (8) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |