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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:The logic of barter in Ethiopian history and its resilience in contemporary society: case studies in the exchange of food, clothing and household goods
Author:Pankhurst, AlulaISNI
Year:2007
Periodical:Journal of Ethiopian Studies (ISSN 0304-2243)
Volume:40
Issue:1-2
Pages:155-179
Language:English
Geographic term:Ethiopia
Subjects:barter
mercantile history
External link:https://www.jstor.org/stable/41988225
Abstract:In Ethiopia, barter has been a prominent mode of exchange throughout the ages. It even has persisted in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, in spite of the monetization of the economy. This paper first reviews the history of barter in Ethiopia based on summaries provided by Richard Pankhurst, and considers the question of 'primitive money' and its relationship with barter. Next, it outlines an anthropological approach to barter and its main characteristics. The main part of the paper discusses four cases of barter in Ethiopia in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, viz. barter related to butter and barley, maize and other foods, vegetables and barley, and plastic household utensils exchanged for old clothes and shoes. The conclusion compares the differential underlying social and economic logic of the cases in relation to the characteristics of barter outlined in the theoretical discussion. Bibliogr., notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract]
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