Introduction: commodities and the polities of value ARJUN APPADURAL new perspective onthe crn of emmodies in scale The {tic of tis perspective can te pu nthe flowing way, Economic ‘SSpir onthe forms or fame of exchange, mabe i pale wo ‘Sue that hat reste eink betwee exchange a vale fli, “Commoe can provionaly be deine as objets of economic value At io what we ought to meaty econo val, te most sul (hou nog andar) guide Georg Simmel fo the ft apter of Pe Palspiy of Mong 1907; Engh wasiatin, 1978, skied rane nacre eer ‘Comprehension of ae, cording Wo Simmel sina region where incepta, wih ees way ens Sige ot rene enone bec ye Doses de ip 7). What Smet els economic bjt in pat {rex the pace between pre deste and immed enjoy flermine ero. That one's dese fran objet fled bythe rice of some ober objet, whch the fous of the deseshou andthe eonomy a patil wc ore cos net oly Imexchangig ste bine chang alae 80). Economic ‘a for Sines generated byt toro exchange of sciees ‘Severalargunent alow ths aaa economic valiia Semel acs deft maf se which es fon te commento ‘two tenses of demand. The for hi commensurate {he exchange of cre agin Ths the ecnomi et des ‘ot havea bolt ale rer the demand fr the dlmand, x the has oft fal or iaqined excange, eno the jet wh value exhunge tars the pametes af uly {nd sae rather than the ee wy ound, ond exchange chat the sore value “The ahealy a usin esate fered ‘earety on the extemal manent ejection inthe {erm at quanti (p 100, la word exchange tat sy prot lhe ia atin fas ee These ers tad brane berets the wage for Sines anal of what be reared them complex sure fo the seactot coming mo sna hr tere But Simmels bsersaons con be an in qunt anther det “This ternative decion, which = exemple bythe ronan af (hs xy, ens exploring the onde under which eens hes ci tent a of i pes ine May fe esas in ths vote examine spc hing eros of ‘hing athey capstan hte Wat fh demand, sero serie and power tert to crest ea Temi ae specie wc sate ‘Conenporary Wester carmen sti, bling on various histor- ica rations in pion le and trl sence, ha» Song sds one wor at Though wae The Gf tn pomeral onsenporsry tendeny io reg the worl gfiting ec ad mec te td mane end 3, erin any hire sae, ing ave et bens dered fom the enpacly of pss to ae andthe power of rds to com iunkate ee Chaps 2) ‘That sch ew of hinge had a $ppeated ven ender be condone of ardenalil pile ion of the ltiions ta uneray Mars mous dacoson opto the “thin of comes Induction: common snd he pate of ase 5 sen if ur own apr ng ome nec) by {camsctons ations, and’ mtition endow them wit, he at ‘Sropogeal prob at tefl tah doesnt sare theconctse Hatori crelton of ange Fort wave ofall The hing theme or ther ming ese he os, Their wt the wares Ib only rough the anal of thee {rectors at ween erp te bua ane ad a Inns tat einen hinge lus eee tough fom aoe! pst ‘eh rece wh aac om Slagle pant el nee the tigen motor at amine Die ‘nat scal context No scl anal a hing wheter the {haha Wau economy, am oe orn, or an snthoplogi cn ‘Fouls maninum lve! of what might be led metal! fe his. Tismethodeoge fete, retuning our ateon oe things heme inant a core n the eaency excess (ect save things 3 tendency we owe to Mauss, 0 Fe ceny med mh "Comma, sd things in geeral are of independent inerest 0 seve Lind of anthvopogy. hey conse tes pines and Slee faces Three il aralae (ns Ar sahlethoy ae a the hear of eoaomieshpoloRy SEE sec ieu,aythe medom of ging hey ae tthe hear of ‘Sohatge theory sd wal atropetogy generally. The commodity Frspeave on ching repens sahabe yt fea ote hel emia iene cent matt clure een Inled and exemple inspec ween of ALY ler 1989) Bur commodies se ot of fndamensal nce ol 0 athopel ‘gins They abo cocsne atopic of ley ite cls ‘Soa hora ar atorans ad, et we fgets eon fis though each Sine ght constate the protien fered ‘Comndie shsrepreeet subj on wis abropolgy may Fave sinting to cle tos nigboringdocpines aswell one ‘Nouri its go delta rm he, Theos moe oe ah eal cg ‘omlupof flare wo commetues, The oatbutor are Be socal nvopalopt, an schol, tnd four toca anorians. No ea Suet at sgrans represented here though het ey ate ‘fm means ignored. Several major wo areas arent reptseted (tosty Chi and Latin Ameri) but he spt coverage never8 Aju Apdo hy wide, Tug an interning rage of gos cased Teng and here toward pecaed or hoary goods rater than "iary’"or‘bal” commodities Fly most of the contre shal to pode ater than oar hgh the ter sre obs ipa ob cms nh Thou hf se Picrnanig ec tay etd eng definition, whose argument that commosiies, properly understood, [asad diversion, diseases the strates fot individual pz Tevet co es denn or Sumptinn nae ovo contol abd poi redefine ist sulaatve sein, on the relsnaip here Kole Ad ‘ommesis, s concert with demonsatng thatthe plc of ‘ale im many oot 2 poles of knowlege The clang seis ee ru a is te ng The spit a the commoiy evel deny tht commodity soiled thing. The Aleknsunal qeston ain wht doce ke scaly const? The pi {ser rounly atesbtedo Mars stata oma a prec by defn, in the inttusonal.papchologel and economic con kone of pian. Lee purist dchnoet regard commends pene eagle cl change Pe aue free wich converges wth Semel empha on changes he eure of econo se Let are ih he en tists omamodiy omy ing mr fo ange Th ete rte focus on the dynamic of eehange For omparatie purposes the tegen Somes a-ha cody ox er ‘diy exchange The hate barter ometimeselerred tos det “pater as a form of exchange has recently ben analyzed by Chap fenmody exchange, Conning ipecs of sera curves def Swot ding Chap) nol ugg ht ae Choa rigt tha sear Mare’ theory of ale ftaken