From WikEd
[edit] Thoughts about rules from the class discussion
- Rules are acquired through repeated practice.
- Rules do not account for the temporality of things.
- You could have identified the rules and act according to the rules but not have a sense of what is happening (mastery). So, with gift exchange it is not only the gift giving that is important, but also the affect, behavior, and community building that is involved.
- Gift exchange can then be viewed as a cultural habit, not a practice with a distinct set of rules.
