- Alan Fiske, an anthropologist at UCLA, finds that people engage in a mix of giving, taking, and matching in every human culture—from
North to South America, Europe to Africa, and Australia to Asia. While living with a West African tribal group in Burkina Faso called the
Mossi, Fiske found people switching between giving, taking, and matching. When it comes to land, the Mossi are givers. If you want to
move into their village, they will automatically grant you land without expecting anything in return. But in the marketplace, the Mossi are
more inclined toward taking, haggling aggressively for the best prices. And when it comes to cultivating food, the Mossi are likely to be
matchers: everyone is expected to make an equal contribution, and meals are divided into even shares.
michael s
(Michael S)
#1