The Norm of Reciprocity: A Preliminary Statement

The manner in which the concept of reciprocity is implicated in functional theory is explored, enabling a reanalysis of the concepts of survival and exploitation. The need to distinguish between the concepts of complementarity and reciprocity is stressed. Distinctions are also drawn between (1) reciprocity as a pattern of mutually contingent exchange of gratifications, (2) the existential or folk belief in reciprocity, and (3) the generalized...