Click the star to add/remove an item to/from your individual schedule.
You need to be logged in to avail of this functionality.
Log in
- Convenors:
-
Melinda Papp
(Eotvos Lorand University Budapest)
Joy Hendry (Oxford Brookes University)
Send message to Convenors
- Stream:
- Anthropology and Sociology
- Location:
- Bloco 1, Piso 1, Sala 1.12
- Sessions:
- Thursday 31 August, -
Time zone: Europe/Lisbon
Short Abstract:
How gift giving relates to tradition and religion, what are its implications to consumer behavior, how the nature of the relationship between the recipient and gift giver becomes reflected in the act of gift-giving, are some of the questions which this panel will address.
Long Abstract:
While gift-giving practices are among the most universal patterns of reciprocity and exchange in any cultural setting, Japan is among the most quoted examples of a society in which gift practices follow extremely complex etiquettes of exchange and wrapping, as well as of the opening (or not) of the objects donated. Some history and folklore literature trace the development of these practices back to early moments in which people discovered the practice of offering the best parts of their game to supernatural beings or deities. In Japan, humanities literature pictures back the origin in the canonization of the Shinto religion. The human donated to the kami in the hope that he could influence the course of reality. From this to clientelism and political corruption the step is not too long.
Today, gift-giving plays a big part in most of the important events of the social life of the individual in Japan. How this relates to tradition and religion, what are the implications of gift-giving practices to consumer behavior and to the business world in general, and how the nature of the relationship between the recipient and gift giver becomes reflected in the act of gift-giving, are some of the most relevant questions which this panel will address.
Accepted papers:
Session 1 Thursday 31 August, 2017, -Melinda Papp (Eotvos Lorand University Budapest)
Paper short abstract:
The consumer culture of contemporary Japan surrounds customs rooting in the traditional lifestyle. Many of these customs observed in present days have changed forms and meanings. What is the role of the marketplace and of consumption in the popularity and in the meaning-creation of these customs?
Paper long abstract:
The highly developed consumer culture of contemporary Japan also surrounds customs rooting in the traditional lifestyle and cosmology characterizing Japanese society before the start of industrialization and modernization. Many of these customs, while often being called with their old names, have significantly changed their pattern and meaning. In this paper I will examine through some concrete cases the following questions: In what way do the market and the modern Japanese consumer interact with regard to modern rituals? What is the reason for and the background of the popularity of some of the rituals and gift-giving occasions in present day Japan? How is the meaning of the modern ritual observances created in modern days? What is the role of consumption in this process? Popular rituals such as shichigosan, the seven-five-three childhood ritual, modern derivations, such as the coming-of-age ceremony, seijinshiki, and other will serve as examples through which to analyse the above-defined aims. Moreover, the legacy of tradition of some of the gift-giving occasions of the calendar and of the individual's life-cycle will be examined with regard to the presence of these occasions in the modern marketplace.
Davide Torsello (Central European University)
Paper short abstract:
Gift giving practices in Japan have long and tortuous histories. Some history and folklore literature trace their development back to moments when people practiced offerings to religious deities. This paper examines the genesis of bribing from religious offering in Japan from anthropology.
Paper long abstract:
Gift giving practices have long and tortuous histories. Some history and folklore literature trace their development back to early moments in which people discovered the practice of offering best parts of their game to supernatural beings or deities. In Japan, one of the most quoted example of society in which gift practices follow extremely complex etiquettes of exchange, wrapping, as well as of opening the objects donated, humanities literature pictures back the origin of these societal practices in the canonization of the Shinto religion. The human, who encountered the kami (the deity in Japanese Shintoism) discovered that by donating he could hope to influence the course of reality.
This is the same principle through which the complex hagiography of Mediterranean European cultures developed a favouritistic structure of gift exchange practices, in which the saints became patrons-like interlocutors, who could reciprocate or not ex-voto and other gifts that their devotes offered them. From this mechanism to bribing, the step is not long. This paper takes a historical-anthropological perspective to analyze the genesis of gift-giving practices in the Japanese political realm.
Ruth Martin (Oxford Brookes University)
Paper short abstract:
This paper examines gift giving by Japanese women who are living temporarily in the UK as a result of their husband's job. It will show the importance gift giving has had in terms of creating good impressions of the Japanese wives who give them and subsequently of Japan.
Paper long abstract:
Gift giving has been a role considered of great importance and typically assigned to women in Japan. Within the ie family system for example, it was wives who saw to the giving of gifts during the seasons of mid-year (ochūgen) and year end (oseibo). This was particularly important within merchant family households in return for business and favours received. With the rise of the "professional housewife" (sengyō shufu) after the Second World War, wives still took care of this role, giving gifts to those who had helped their husband in his salary man career within the company. During the recent long term economic downturn however, some companies have actually forbidden the sending of such gifts. This paper examines the changing nature of gift giving not by women in Japan, but by Japanese women who are living temporarily in the UK as a result of their husband's job. It will explore when and how gifts are given and who to. It will show the importance gift giving has in terms of creating a good impression of the Japanese who give them women and subsequently of Japan.This was especially significant following negative attitudes after the Second World War. As well as giving to British people such as neighbours and teachers , women pay significant attention to the gifts they take back for friends and relatives when they visit Japan (omiyage). Such gifts are usually items representative of the UK, such as tea, short bread and most recently jute shopping bags, which can be purchased cheaply in the UK but are currently prized and expensive in Japan. This marks a change from thirty to forty years ago when Japanese expatriates went home infrequently during their overseas assignment and chose gifts to take back to Japan with care for fear of being accused of "showing off". The paper will suggest that while gift giving has changed over the years , it continues to play an important role in improving impressions of both countries and ultimately , to Anglo-Japanese relations.