reciprocal exchange

Definition of Reciprocal Exchange

(noun) The nonmarket transfer of goods or services between two or more people based on role-determined obligations.

Example of Reciprocal Exchange

• The Kula exchange (also called Kula ring) in the Trobriand Islands near Papua New Guinea as studied by Bronisław Malinowski (1884–1942).
  

Reciprocal Exchange Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: re·cip·ro·cal ex·change

Audio Pronunciation

International Phonetic Alphabet

• American English – /rɪˈsɪprəkəl ɪksˈʧeɪnʤ/
• British English – /rɪˈsɪprəkəl ɪksˈʧeɪnʤ/

Usage Notes

• Plural: reciprocal exchanges
• Also called reciprocity.

Additional Information

• Economic Sociology Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
• Word origin of “reciprocal” and “exchange” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com

Related Terms

• allocation of resources
• distribution
• division of labor
• economic system
• market economy
• market exchange
• production
• redistribution
• society
• subsistence economy
• technology

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Cite the Definition of Reciprocal Exchange

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “reciprocal exchange.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 25, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/reciprocal-exchange/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

reciprocal exchange. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/reciprocal-exchange/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “reciprocal exchange.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 25, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/reciprocal-exchange/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“reciprocal exchange.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/reciprocal-exchange/>.