Positive News: Gift Economies
By Ari | Jul 19, 09 10:07 AM
Positive News US has a brief article by Anya Lapham about gift economies - you can read it on page 6 of this PDF of the spring 2009 edition. It draws on the work of feminist gift economy theorist Genevieve Vaughn, whose research indicates that we and our exchange economy are already "dependent on the gift economy, yet we don't acknowledge it."
Lapham writes, "As our 'free' market's lack of human care and equity is exposed, and new research questions if this recent crash would've been different is women were running Wall Street, we can choose to return our focus to the economics which will never abandon us or run out of resources. This is because the gift economy or gift-giving as a basis for an entirely different economic system operates according to human need not greed as it arises out of women's nurturing."
I agree that women are often unsung heroes of society, carrying the firewood and bearing and raising the children and feeding our families - but then again, I wish these tasks weren't "women's work" but rather, recognized responsibilities that we could all share equally. I think increasingly, "women's work" and "men's work" are overlapping, but we obviously have a lot farther to go in ensuring that work distribution is equitable and transparent. While we work on that, Vaughn's ideas hold a lot of water... but we can all participate in the gift economy right now, regardless of our gender identities and family situations.
To find ways to access giving networks in the Tompkins County area, check out the resources page on Share Tompkins. I also hear the Red Cross is in need of donations, to help them pay for housing and caring for families displaced by a recent fire in the area.
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