In Argonauts of the Western Pacific, anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski refutes the notion of “primitive economic man” through his early studies of the 20th century in the Trobriand Islands. The Trobrianders were considered primitive because of their isolation from modern society, their belief in supernatural forces, and their difference in skin color. “Primitive economic man” refers to the idea of ​​an “imaginary, primitive, or savage man, motivated in all his actions by a rationalist conception of self-interest and achieving his goals directly and with the minimum of effort” (Malinowski 1984: 60). ). Malinowski disagrees with this characterization and believes that man, even in his most basic culture, has complex social systems and traditions. He describes the Trobrianders as self-reliant and hardworking. They employ a complex political system, earn their living through gardening, and have the socio-economic tradition of Kula, a long journey that involves trade and reciprocity. Rejecting the notion of "Primitive Economic Man", Malinowski reveals how the Trobrianders base their lives on community and kinship through politics, work and social traditions in order to convey to his readers an understanding of this unique culture. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayMalinowski depicts the complex political system of the Trobrianders as one based on kinship, rank, and community duties. Four clans live on the Trobriand Islands and divide into smaller subclans. In these subclans, “members claim common ancestry” within the framework of matrilineal succession (1984: 70). The Trobrianders have obligations and duties "which establish a very close and important relationship between" specific family members, such as a boy and his mother's brother (1984:71). The relationship between the chief and his clan highlights the close ties within the community. The leader or headman has great authority and when he needs allies or men to accomplish his work, he can count on them. Although the chief appears powerful and may be seen as self-interested, he must use his power and wealth for the good of the village. He pays for parties and organizes tribal gatherings and expeditions (1984: 64). The Trobrianders are also close and recognize their leader while having their own interests. But they do not follow the definition of "primitive economic man", because in times of unrest, the district, tribe or community sticks together and deals with their problems together. The political system with a leader and his subordinates shows how much they value working together and supporting each other as a community. Malinowski also depicts kinship and community through their livelihoods and gardening. Trobriand gardens largely consist of a variety of different foods such as yams, taro, sugarcane, wild fruits and roots. The Trobrianders value the yam which they market with their loved ones and the village. They prefer to store yams or display them rather than use them for food, revealing that they do not indulge in gluttony or commit gluttony. The size of the garden and the amount of work carried out by the Trobrianders helped them gain social status and recognition from those close to them. They divided the work in the garden into various tasks such as pruning plants, cultivating, building fences and tendingthe tidy area (1984: 58). “Three-quarters of a man's harvest goes partly as tribute to the chief, partly as due to the husband and family of that sister (or mother)” (1984: 61). Although it seems that the Trobrianders garden for their own self-interest and self-fulfillment to improve their social status, Malinowski shows that they focus on their gardens in order to have a stronger connection with their village as well as with the nature. In reality, they “receive no personal benefit in the utilitarian sense from its harvest” (1984: 61). They cannot be characterized by the term "Primitive Economic Man" because they do hard work in the garden and trade yams for their village, all for their village and family. Through gardening, Malinowski wants his readers to understand that Trobrianders work hard for their families, instead of meeting their own needs. On a social level, Malinowski represents Trobriand life as largely governed by an extremely meaningful and important exchange called the Kula, which also signifies the importance and connections between communities rather than self-interest. Kula is a form of public commerce where Trobriand communities undertake a long circular journey governed by rules and traditions (1984: 81). They spend months preparing for this trip, preparing their canoes, food and gifts for their exchange. Clockwise the Trobrianders exchange white armbands (mwali) and counterclockwise they exchange red necklaces (soulava). This circular journey never stops. Each gift continually goes in one direction and will return in a few years to be exchanged again. Each man who participates must give up one item and take one item. They cannot keep an item for more than a few years, otherwise they will be considered rude or selfish. The Kula establish a partnership between two men from different islands based on rank and they maintain this relationship for life. Although Malinowski says the Trobrianders have little knowledge of the size of the Kula or do not understand the bigger picture, he believes in the importance of constructing "an image of the great institution, just as the physicist constructs his theory from experimental data” (1984). : 84). The Trobrianders know their motives and may appear to meet their own needs, but they form relationships that last for years. Malinowski states that a man who owns an object “is supposed to share it, distribute it, be its depositary and dispenser” (1984: 97). Necklaces and arm shells should not be seen as objects of innate desire, but as objects that define their connection to each other. Malinowski shares this complex socio-economic system of the Kula to highlight the reciprocity, sharing, and community values ​​of the Trobrianders to show that the Kula satisfies their emotional needs rather than their animal desires. Malinowski depicts the political system, livelihoods and the Kula in relation to kin and communities in order to show that the Trobrianders should not be considered primitive. He describes their ability to live alone as a form of dedication to their people and their value in social interactions. They are not simple-minded and do not work, trade, or interact with others solely to improve themselves. Malinowski wants the reader to gain a new perspective on these people and transfer this positive depiction of them to other unique cultures that might be considered savage and selfish. Malinowski paved the way for.