The name is absent

(ii)kinship was mostly a very important aspect of production relations with much production
and transactions occurring within kinship groups or local communities, often described as a
’domestic mode of production’ (see e.g. Sahlins); (iii) within these groups (i.e. kinship groups
and local communities), relationships appear to exhibit a combination of all three of our
modes of behaviour, with the balance varying within and across societies. Clearly, COOP was
an important element, as might be expected of groups who live in long-term relationships
with each other, with reproductive, productive and consumption relationships and activities
intermingled. P/C also played an important part (Polanyi), as exemplified by traditional
leaders. But “they were regarded as trustees whose influence was circumscribed both in
customary law and religion” (Mboya in African Socialism, quoted in Cowen and Shenton, p
326). COOP relationships, like those observed today, covered a range of behaviour,
including pooling of labour and output, ‘gifts’, and more overtly reciprocal activity, although
neither the timing nor the nature of reciprocation was neatly defined. In addition, utilitarian
short-term exchange relationships were also present (i.e. M as defined here), though they
were rarely quantitatively important. According to some, M was clearly present underlying
some apparent COOP relationships (see Davis). (iv)Much production and consumption
occurred within groups (in the so-called Domestic Mode of Production). Between group
behaviour was largely COOP in recurring relationships, backed up by elements of P/C and
M.

According to Sahlins, the mode of behaviour altered according to the distance of the social
relationship. Pooling (COOP with elements of within family P/C) was the exclusive mode
within tightly defined families; as kinship or community ties lessened, explicit reciprocity
became more important, moving towards M modes for trade with strangers. Polanyi makes a
similar point when he states that market relationships only arose in association with long-
distant trade.

A case study of the Malle in southwest Ethiopia illustrates some of these points. ⁴ Production

⁴ This is taken from Donham, 1981. The case study was conducted in 1974-5 (i.e. in the
post-colonial era), but the particular group appears to have been untouched by the Western
economic system.

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