We explain what reciprocity is and why it is a value. We also explain its meaning in anthropology and what the principle of reciprocity is. Please read other MTV articles for more information. If you share it, it will be of little help to us.
What is reciprocity?
Reciprocity is the correspondence between two people or the interaction between two objects. Relationships that meet this condition are called reciprocal, a word that comes from the Latin reciprocare, a term used to describe the back-and-forth movement of sea water, whose movement over the sand is always equidistant: it comes and goes in the same amount.
When we say something is reciprocal, we mean that it “comes and goes”: that it offers the same to both parties or that it is reciprocated in the right measure. For example, reciprocal love is when both people are in love, and reciprocal help is when both parties lend a hand.
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Many human relationships are based on reciprocity, or at least the promise of it. This is what the proverb “today for you, tomorrow for me” expresses: sometimes by helping others we guarantee help when we need it in the future, so reciprocity does not necessarily imply the immediate return of the help received.
Reciprocity as a Value
Reciprocity itself can be understood as a social value, that is, as a desirable feature of our interpersonal relationships. This usually means that we should be generous, affectionate, or at least kind to those who are kind to us in turn, which often implies maintaining a certain degree of gratitude toward the rest of society.
It is normal for reciprocity to be understood as a measure of equity (i.e., fairness in treatment) and cooperation (i.e., mutual aid), although in a strict sense it only involves giving back what we receive.
Reciprocity in Psychology
In psychology, reciprocity is understood as the general tendency of human behavior to feel obliged to return a favor or good received. If we don’t do so, we feel guilty.
Reciprocity has been addressed by various branches of psychology.
- Evolutionary psychology (which studies the development of the mind from the perspective of the evolutionary history of the human species) has interpreted reciprocity as a response to the need for survival. According to this theory, helping others is driven by the expectation that providing help increases the likelihood of receiving help in the future and, thus, surviving in a hostile world.
- Evolutionary or developmental psychology (which focuses on the study of psychological changes in individuals throughout their lives) has established that reciprocity is a behavioral norm that develops in childhood and impacts the relationships children establish with other peers. The way we understand reciprocity changes over time: from behavior based on the “tit-for-tat” principle, it evolves to an attitude of mutual cooperative exchange.
- Social psychology (which studies the thoughts and behaviors of individuals as social beings) considers reciprocity as a social norm that consists of responding to a positive action with another positive action, thereby rewarding kind actions. People respond much more cordially and cooperatively to friendly actions than they would if they were acting solely out of self-interest.
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Reciprocity in Anthropology
In cultural anthropology, reciprocity is linked to the functioning of informal economies. It consists of the non-commercial exchange of favors or goods. It includes practices ranging from direct barter to forms of gift exchange in which a return is expected.
If the exchange is immediate, as in barter, a social bond is not created. If, on the other hand, the exchange is delayed, a relationship arises based on the obligation to return the good or favor received (i.e., a debt). Failure to return the favor can end a relationship between equals. Thus, some forms of reciprocity can establish a hierarchy. Reciprocal exchanges can also have political consequences, through the creation of multiple obligations that lead to the establishment of leadership.
Depending on the interests of the parties involved, three types of reciprocity are distinguished:
Generalized or Positive Reciprocity
Exchange takes place without the need to immediately receive compensation, or even without ever receiving it, and the promise of return is sufficient. Thus, the obligation to reciprocate is infinite and lasting.
Balanced or Symmetrical Reciprocity
Immediate retribution is based on a system of equivalences that guarantees receiving the same amount as what is given. Generally, a time limit for retribution is established, and in exchange, social considerations have less weight and individual and/or economic interests have greater weight.
Negative Reciprocity
Exchange involves the attempt to obtain material benefits at the expense of another, as in bartering, bargaining, theft, or fraud. It generally occurs between people with distant social relationships, who do not act altruistically, but rather with the goal of maximizing their own benefit.
Reciprocity and Redistribution
In cultural anthropology and sociology, reciprocity is associated with redistribution and is often considered a form of it. Redistribution is a system of economic exchange that involves the collection of goods and services from members of a group to a central authority, which, in turn, distributes them among those members.
Unlike simple reciprocity, which is a two-way exchange between parties, redistribution consists of a pooling of goods. This determines a center (the authority that redistributes), while reciprocity establishes two parties, each with its own interests.
The most basic form of redistribution is the sharing of food within a family. However, redistribution also forms the basis of exchange in many communities, organized under the leadership of a political authority that collects and redistributes goods.
In industrial societies, redistribution is a central mechanism. An example of this is progressive income taxes, which are levied on individuals based on their personal income. The money obtained in this way is subsequently distributed to other members of society through various government programs.
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Reciprocity and Complementarity
Reciprocity as a system of economic exchange, when carried out within a community, is sometimes accompanied by the exercise of some form of complementarity. Complementarity is a consequence of the application of the principles of division of labor and comparative advantage in order to obtain better results.
While reciprocity involves a mere exchange of goods or favors between community members, complementarity implies that each member or group within the community limits its involvement to activities in which it can make a significant contribution. For example, within an agricultural production system, one sector may be responsible for growing crops and another for marketing the products obtained.
In complementarity, the various members or groups depend on one another and carry out their activities with the agreement, usually implicit, that each will fulfill their part. Thus, it can be understood as a form of community reciprocity, associated with cooperative work.
Principle of Reciprocity
In the field of international relations, the principle of reciprocity is a fundamental rule of treatment between states, according to which each state undertakes to give the other’s citizens residing in its territory treatment similar to that received by its citizens in the other’s territory.
In other words, each state offers the other the same guarantees and the same treatment it receives from itself: economically (for example, by eliminating or imposing tariffs), legally (for example, by establishing extradition agreements), or socially (for example, by waiving or imposing visa and travel restrictions).
Thus, at least in theory, agreements between states should be reciprocal at all times, to ensure that injustice does not exist.
Examples of Reciprocity
- Children care for their parents in their old age, just as their parents cared for them when they were young. A person does chores for a friend who has been unable to go to work and who helped them buy their house.
- A country exempts imports of raw materials from another country, and the other country, in return, allows the free circulation of certain products from that country.
- A father promises his son that if he passes an exam, he will give him the object he so desires.
- In response to an attack by nation A against nation B, nation C suspends imports from nation A; nation B, for its part, agrees to financially assist nation C.
- The society of the Inca Empire was organized into communities called ayllus, whose members provided mutual assistance in agricultural work, according to a principle of reciprocity, which required them to return the aid provided.
- The countries that make up the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are committed to defending any member that is attacked by an outside country. Among the Iroquois, the practice of reciprocity was widespread: one tribe would give a gift to another with the expectation of receiving a gift in return.
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References
All the information we offer is supported by authoritative and up-to-date bibliographic sources, ensuring reliable content in line with our editorial principles.
- Reciprocity in the Dictionary of the Spanish Language of the Royal Spanish Academy.
- Reciprocity (international relations) in Wikipedia.
- Reciprocity (cultural anthropology) in Wikipedia.
- Norm of reciprocity in Wikipedia.
- Distribution in Course Hero.
- What is reciprocity? in the Argentine Kennel Club.
- Reciprocity Definition, Concept, implications, principles, examples – concepto.de
