A Study of Gift Exchange Behaviour in the Funeral Rituals of the Jiarong Tibetan --An Anthropological Study of a Jiarong Tibetan Village

Abstract

Funerals are the last of the life rituals, and both the funeral rituals and the exchange of gifts during the funeral process are rich in cultural characteristics. The author explains funeral rituals ' social integration and cohesion function through a fieldwork study of a village in the Jiarong Tibetan area. Then the author analyses the form and content of funeral gift exchange and its characteristics and functions from the perspective of economic anthropology. It is thus argued that the social connections of the Jiarong Tibetan village, which are linked through gifts, are consolidated and strengthened in the funeral rituals. Finally, the cultural compatibility character of the Jiarong Tibetan is revealed in the funeral rituals and their gift exchange.