For-Giving: A Feminist Criticism of Exchange [Paperback]

Genevieve Vaughan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1997

For-Giving, a Feminist Criticism of Exchange, first published in 1997 is an analysis of the values of gift giving seen as an economic mode of distribution based in maternal practice, and opposed to the self-reflecting and ego-oriented values of exchange on which the market economy is based. The values of Patriarchy entwine with those of Capitalism to create an economic system of domination, while a maternal economy would provide for everyone and promote a community-oriented subjectivity which would also honor Mother Nature. This book gives a woman based perspective on the gift economy as a basis for social change.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Genevieve Vaughan is an independent researcher who was born in Texas, USA and presently lives in Italy. She has been working on the theory of a maternal gift economy as an alternative to Patriarchal Capitalism for many years. Vaughan's book For-Giving, a Feminist Criticism of Exchange, (Plain View Press 1997- now Anomaly Press) and two edited books Athanor:The Gift/ Il Dono: A Feminist Analysis (Meltemi Editore 2004), and Women and the Gift Economy: A Radically Different Worldview is Possible (Inanna Press 2007), her e book, Homo Donans (2007), two children's books Mother Nature's Children (Anomaly Press 2001) and Free/Not Free (Anomaly Press 2007) her cd Songs for the Tree of Life, a film on her life: Giving for Giving which will soon be aired on Free Speech TV and her many articles are all available free at her website.

A description of the Foundation for a Compassionate Society, an all-women activist foundation for social change which Genevieve founded and directed from 1987-1998 can also be found on the website as well as the audio recordings of the presentations of many international women from the conferences the foundation organized A Radically Different Worldview is Possible: The Gift Economy Inside and Outside Patriarchal Capitalism (2004) and Societies of Peace: the 2nd World Congress of Matriarchal Studies (2005) under the direction of Heide Goettner-Abendroth.

In 1992 Genevieve created a temple to the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet near the nuclear test site in the Nevada desert. The temple is still in existence and open to visitors. Genevieve has participated in a number of international women's conferences as well as many of the World Social Forums. She speaks on the gift economy in a wde variety of venues both individually and together with members of the network of which she was a main instigator, International Feminists for a Gift Economy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Plain View Press (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0911051945
• ISBN-13: 978-0911051940
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,718,313 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Gift, October 4, 2010

By 

Carol Liane Brouillet "9-11 activist" (Palo Alto, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: For-Giving: A Feminist Criticism of Exchange (Paperback)

The book makes a very persuasive argument that exchange promotes hierarchy and that gifting, giving, promotes cooperation and more egalitarian, peaceful relations between people. I found it profoundly informing and moving, and I don't believe I will ever quite see the world again the same way, after reading this book. I had already recognized that our monetary system was deeply flawed and received the book as a gift from the author after having organized a panel on local currencies at the TOES Conference in Denver in 1996 (Where we also protested the G-7 Summit). It was such a radical point of view that, at the time,I felt that local currencies were an imperative to begin the process of understanding the problems inherent in our monetary system and a gift economy was unattainable, a dream. These days, with our system crashing and harming so many people, I'm beginning to think Gen may have been right and that giving or gifting is the best first step to changing consciousness and moving society from the dominator/imperial/war mentality towards a peaceful/cooperative/life nurturing, healing, enlightened one.