What is a gift economy? – Alex Gendler

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-is-a-gift-economy-alex-gendler

What if, this holiday season, instead of saying “thank you” to your aunt for her gift of a knitted sweater, the polite response expected from you was to show up at her house in a week with a better gift? Or to vote for her in the town election? Or let her adopt your firstborn child? Alex Gendler explains how all of these things might not sound so strange if you were involved in a gift economy.

Lesson by Alex Gendler, animation by Avi Ofer.